Spec-Driven Development in the AI Era
Development is changing again.
If you’re a developer, it’s time to learn how to write specs.
AI can code, but it still needs direction. It can’t decide what to build or why it should be built a certain way. That’s where good developers will continue to stand out.
We’ve gone from assembly to low-level languages, to high-level ones, to frameworks that gave us structure and speed. Now AI is the next layer of abstraction.
You don’t have to write every line anymore. Spec-driven development will surpass traditional coding.
Vibe coding isn’t the vibe. That’s how production databases get dropped, AWS keys end up in public repos, and insecure code makes it into production.
There will always be things AI can’t assume. Every system has unique scaling needs, customer use cases, and infrastructure requirements. No two apps are the same, and that’s where human judgment still matters.
After 13 years of writing specs for remote teams, it feels natural to define how a system should work. The difference now is that I can write a spec and watch AI work in the background at incredible speed.
Developers who can design and guide complex systems with clarity and purpose will thrive in this new era.
How are you adapting your workflow as AI changes what it means to be a developer?
