The AI Native Dev - from Copilot today to AI Native Software Development tomorrow Transforming Dev Practices with Kiro’s Spec-Driven Tools | Nikhil and Richard
Aug 19, 2025
Nikhil Swaminathan, Head of Product at Kiro IDE, and Richard Threlkeld, Principal Engineer at Kiro IDE, dive into the realm of spec-driven development. They discuss how this methodology shifts focus from code writing to understanding system behavior, aiding in code maintenance. The duo emphasizes the importance of composable documents for better collaboration and refactoring. They also highlight the evolution of specifications, the role of AI in enhancing team communication, and the benefits of test-driven development in software projects.
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Vibe Coding Hides Design Intent
- Vibe coding speeds prototyping but hides design decisions and rationale behind code changes.
- Kiro shifts focus to spec-driven development to capture intent and make behavior explicit.
Specs Express Behavior, Not Implementation
- Specifications lift reasoning from code to higher-level behavior and invariants.
- They make properties like read-after-write visible across complex systems.
Formalize Requirements With EARS
- Use structured requirement formats (like EARS) to express temporal behavior and acceptance criteria.
- Tie UX to formalized requirements to enable verification and model control.