Using Spec-Driven Development for Production Workflows - Erik Hanchett, AWS
Spec-driven development—writing specs and design docs before code—produces faster, higher-quality output from LLM coding assistants.
“Because if you give them just a little bit of leeway, they will go off the rails.”
AWS developer advocate Erik Hanchett explains spec-driven development, where structured markdown specifications and design documents are written before any code, framing LLM coding assistants as eager 'AI interns' that need guidance. The approach aims to improve both speed and code quality by constraining how coding assistants implement work. It's a practical workflow insight rather than a major industry announcement.