Spec-Driven Development Workflow From Requirements to Code
Spec-Driven Development works when the specification is a workflow, not a document you file away after kickoff. The point is not to produce a large product requirements document.
The point is to move through a sequence of reviewable artifacts that each reduce ambiguity before anyone — human or AI agent — changes production code.
If you do not know what SDD is conceptually, start with What Is Spec-Driven Development? for definitions, comparisons with TDD and BDD, and the case for treating the spec as source of truth. This article in the App Architecture group is the operational guide. It walks through the five phases, shows what each artifact should contain, explains where AI agents fit, and gives reusable templates you can copy into your repository today.
SDD Is a Workflow, Not a Document
The most common failure mode in spec-driven development is treating the spec as paperwork. A team writes a long requirements document, stores it in a wiki, and then codes from memory and chat threads. The spec exists, but it does not drive anything. That is documentation theater, and it is worse than no spec because it creates false confidence.
A working SDD workflow produces a chain of artifacts, each reviewed before the next phase…
