Spec Driven Development approach allows to squeeze more from coding agents thanks to few strong concepts:
- decomposition across two dimensions. first you generate specs in multiple steps (requirements, code analysis, design), than you split task into multiple subtasks and implement them one by one
- you clear context between every step - after spec generation and after subtask implementation. this helps keep cost low and context clear and focused which boost performance
- specs written to disk help with information persistency
- delivering specs layer by layer help to catch early when agent got you wrong
I'd love to see a comparison with other spec-driven development tools for Claude, like OpenSpec and Superpowers. How does this compare and contrast with them?
I've been using agent flywheel workflow which is similar. Still not completely sold - it feels a bit like using power tools to shape wood but the final product needs a lot of sanding and polishing.
I thought initially this meant that the spec wasn't detailed enough but the problem is more agent adherence and laziness.