Alfonso Graziano

Spec-Driven Development: From Prompting to Production-Ready Systems

Spec-Driven Development (SDD) is what turns AI-assisted coding from a fast prototyping tool into a reliable engineering discipline. The real challenge isn’t generating code: it’s ensuring that what gets built is correct, complete, and aligned with intent.

In this workshop, we focus on using an SDD tool properly: treating specifications as first-class artifacts, enforcing alignment before execution, and using them to drive predictable implementation outcomes.

In this 90-minute hands-on workshop, you'll take a loosely defined feature and turn it into a production-ready spec, then use that spec to guide implementation with AI-assisted tooling. We'll start with SDD fundamentals, then move into applying a structured workflow that reduces ambiguity and rework.

We'll cover:
- A practical SDD primer: what makes a “good spec,” and why clarity beats clever prompting
- How to translate vague requirements into structured, testable specifications
- The core SDD workflow: spec drafting, iterative refinement, validation, and execution
- How to use an SDD tool effectively: enforcing constraints, generating tasks, and maintaining alignment during implementation
- Techniques to prevent drift: keeping code, spec, and intent synchronized over time

You'll leave with:
- A reusable SDD workflow you can apply immediately in your projects
- A structured template for writing high-quality specs
- A clear understanding of how to use AI tools as executors of specs, not substitutes for thinking
- A realistic view of trade-offs: upfront cost vs reduced rework, and where SDD provides the most leverage


Bring: A laptop, and access to your preferred AI-assisted development tools (CLI or editor-based).

Prerequisite: Basic experience with AI-assisted coding (e.g., Copilot, CLI agents, or similar). No prior SDD experience required, but familiarity with writing technical requirements will help.