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3 | 3 | ## The Power Inversion |
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5 | | -For decades, code has been king. Specifications served code—they were the scaffolding we built and then discarded once the "real work" of coding began. We wrote PRDs to guide development, created design docs to inform implementation, drew diagrams to visualize architecture. But these were always subordinate to the code itself. Code was truth. Everything else was, at best, good intentions. Code was the source of truth, as it mvoed forward, and spec's rarely kept pace. As the asset (code) and the implementation are one, it's not easy to have a parallel implementation without trying to build from the code. |
| 5 | +For decades, code has been king. Specifications served code—they were the scaffolding we built and then discarded once the "real work" of coding began. We wrote PRDs to guide development, created design docs to inform implementation, drew diagrams to visualize architecture. But these were always subordinate to the code itself. Code was truth. Everything else was, at best, good intentions. Code was the source of truth, as it moved forward, and spec's rarely kept pace. As the asset (code) and the implementation are one, it's not easy to have a parallel implementation without trying to build from the code. |
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7 | 7 | Spec-Driven Development (SDD) inverts this power structure. Specifications don't serve code—code serves specifications. The (Product Requirements Document-Specification) PRD isn't a guide for implementation; it's the source that generates implementation. Technical plans aren't documents that inform coding; they're precise definitions that produce code. This isn't an incremental improvement to how we build software. It's a fundamental rethinking of what drives development. |
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@@ -34,13 +34,13 @@ The feedback loop extends beyond initial development. Production metrics and inc |
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35 | 35 | Three trends make SDD not just possible but necessary: |
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37 | | -First, AI capabilities have reached a threshold where natural language specifications can reliably generate working code. This isn't about replacing developers—it's about amplifying their effectiveness by automating the mechanical translation from specification to implementation. It can amplify exploration and creativity, it can support "start-over" easily, it supports addition substraction and critical thinking. |
| 37 | +First, AI capabilities have reached a threshold where natural language specifications can reliably generate working code. This isn't about replacing developers—it's about amplifying their effectiveness by automating the mechanical translation from specification to implementation. It can amplify exploration and creativity, it can support "start-over" easily, it supports addition subtraction and critical thinking. |
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39 | | -Second, software complexity continues to grow exponentially. Modern systems integrate dozens of services, frameworks, and dependencies. Keeping all these pieces aligned with original intent through manual processes becomes increasingly difficult. SDD provides systematic alignment through specification-driven generation. Frameworks may eviolve to provide AI-first support, not human-first support, or architect around reusable components. |
| 39 | +Second, software complexity continues to grow exponentially. Modern systems integrate dozens of services, frameworks, and dependencies. Keeping all these pieces aligned with original intent through manual processes becomes increasingly difficult. SDD provides systematic alignment through specification-driven generation. Frameworks may evolve to provide AI-first support, not human-first support, or architect around reusable components. |
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41 | 41 | Third, the pace of change accelerates. Requirements change far more rapidly today than ever before. Pivoting is no longer exceptional—it's expected. Modern product development demands rapid iteration based on user feedback, market conditions, and competitive pressures. Traditional development treats these changes as disruptions. Each pivot requires manually propagating changes through documentation, design, and code. The result is either slow, careful updates that limit velocity, or fast, reckless changes that accumulate technical debt. |
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43 | | -SDD can support what-if/simulation experiments, "If we need to re-implement of change the application to promote a business need to sell more T-shirts, how would we implement and experiment for that?". |
| 43 | +SDD can support what-if/simulation experiments, "If we need to re-implement or change the application to promote a business need to sell more T-shirts, how would we implement and experiment for that?". |
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45 | 45 | SDD transforms requirement changes from obstacles into normal workflow. When specifications drive implementation, pivots become systematic regenerations rather than manual rewrites. Change a core requirement in the PRD, and affected implementation plans update automatically. Modify a user story, and corresponding API endpoints regenerate. This isn't just about initial development—it's about maintaining engineering velocity through inevitable changes. |
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@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ The constitution defines nine articles that shape every aspect of the developmen |
256 | 256 | #### Article I: Library-First Principle |
257 | 257 | Every feature must begin as a standalone library—no exceptions. This forces modular design from the start: |
258 | 258 | ``` |
259 | | -Every feature in Specify2 MUST begin its existence as a standalone library. |
| 259 | +Every feature in Specify MUST begin its existence as a standalone library. |
260 | 260 | No feature shall be implemented directly within application code without |
261 | 261 | first being abstracted into a reusable library component. |
262 | 262 | ``` |
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