spec-driven-development

Defining project requirements before development involves creating a structured specification that covers objectives, project structure, code style, testing strategy, and boundaries. This process reframes vague requirements into testable success criteria to prevent ambiguity and rework.

A gated specification workflow for agile development is a four-phase process—Specify, Plan, Tasks, and Implement—that enforces human review at each stage. It ensures all implementation details, from API endpoints to error handling, are explicitly defined and agreed upon before coding begins.

Writing testable success criteria involves asking clarifying questions to reframe vague requirements into concrete specifications. By defining exact boundaries, commands, and testing strategies upfront, you ensure the new feature has clear, measurable outcomes before implementation.

Yes, spec-driven development applies to both new projects and significant changes to existing features. It guides the creation of comprehensive spec documents to ensure scope, code style, and testing strategy are clearly defined before modifying existing code.

The best way to prevent scope ambiguity is to enforce a structured specification process before writing any code. By defining clear boundaries, objectives, and testing strategies through a gated workflow, you align expectations and eliminate misalignment during module development.