Using Spec-Driven Development for Production Workflows - Erik Hanchett, AWS
Jun 28, 2026 · 17:47
Erik Hanchett (AWS) argues that spec-driven development—writing markdown specification files before any code—produces higher quality code by guiding AI coding assistants, which he compares to 'AI interns' that need explicit direction. He introduces Kiro, AWS’s new AI IDE and CLI, which offers a spec mode that generates requirements documents, design documents with mermaid diagrams, property-based tests using Fastcheck, and a task list. In a demo building a movie website, Kiro created an MVP-focused implementation verified by property tests. Hanchett also highlights integrating external data via the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and stresses the importance of human review. He advises balancing context in steering docs and using on-demand skills to control the workflow.
