Download to read offline
Uploaded byHaim Michael
Vibe Coding vs. Spec-Driven Development [Free Meetup]
These slides accompany Haim Michael’s talk delivered at the life michael's meetup, offering a clear and structured comparison between Vibe Coding and Spec-Driven Development (SDD) in the era of GenAI-powered software engineering. You can find more information about life michael meetup group at https://www.meetup.com/lifemichael. The slides introduces how developers commonly use GenAI today - code completion, project skeleton generation, code review, test creation, documentation, and agentic coding - and frames the discussion around two contrasting development mindsets: • Vibe Coding — an intuitive, improvisational, behavior-focused coding style that emphasizes rapid iteration and creativity, especially effective for prototypes, experiments, and simple applications. • Spec-Driven Development — a methodology where structured, machine-interpretable specifications (EARS, UML, state machines, scenarios, data contracts, constraints) become the single source of truth guiding design, code generation, testing, documentation, and AI agent orchestration. The slides detail the benefits and drawbacks of each approach, including speed, maintainability, clarity, code quality, onboarding, consistency, initial overhead, tooling readiness, and the mindset shift required when adopting SDD. They also outline when each approach fits, from throwaway experiments to large-scale, long-lived systems requiring traceability, reliability, governance, and multi-team coordination. The slides provide a concise, visual framework for understanding how GenAI reshapes the development lifecycle and how teams can strategically select the methodology that best serves their project goals. You can find the video of this talk available at https://youtu.be/NLkqJnOkcCA. More information about life michael premium training services for software developers can be found at https://lifemichael.com.
More Related Content
Similar to Vibe Coding vs. Spec-Driven Development [Free Meetup]
![[BDD 2025 - Mobile Development] Mobile Engineer and Software Engineer: Are we...](https://cdn.slidesharecdn.com/ss_thumbnails/md-mobileengineerandsoftwareengineerarewestillrelevantsidiqpermana-251127010650-55224ef1-thumbnail.jpg?width=640&height=640&fit=bounds)
![Learning Programming with ChatGPT [Free Meetup]](https://cdn.slidesharecdn.com/ss_thumbnails/learningprogrammingwithchatgpt20250930-250930090922-6c25145f-thumbnail.jpg?width=640&height=640&fit=bounds)
![Getting Started with Typer: Building Modern CLIs in Python [Free Meetup]](https://cdn.slidesharecdn.com/ss_thumbnails/typer20250902-250902092143-083883db-thumbnail.jpg?width=640&height=640&fit=bounds)
![Prompt Engineering Jump Start [Free Meetup]](https://cdn.slidesharecdn.com/ss_thumbnails/promptengineeringbasics20250708-250807095210-d5891b09-thumbnail.jpg?width=640&height=640&fit=bounds)
![The Visitor Classic Design Pattern [Free Meetup]](https://cdn.slidesharecdn.com/ss_thumbnails/thevisitordesignpattern20250603-250603091504-a29cefc7-thumbnail.jpg?width=640&height=640&fit=bounds)
![Typing in Python: Bringing Clarity, Safety and Speed to Your Code [Free Meetup]](https://cdn.slidesharecdn.com/ss_thumbnails/haimpythontypes20250401-250401101822-2acdbf8f-thumbnail.jpg?width=640&height=640&fit=bounds)
![Introduction to Pattern Matching in Java [Free Meetup]](https://cdn.slidesharecdn.com/ss_thumbnails/javapatternmatchingmeetup20250304-250304131144-9588cdc2-thumbnail.jpg?width=640&height=640&fit=bounds)
![Mastering The Collections in JavaScript [Free Meetup]](https://cdn.slidesharecdn.com/ss_thumbnails/javascriptcollections20250204-250205161759-5a1365e2-thumbnail.jpg?width=640&height=640&fit=bounds)
![JavaScript Promises Simplified [Free Meetup]](https://cdn.slidesharecdn.com/ss_thumbnails/promises20241001-241001092110-ceaab0a2-thumbnail.jpg?width=640&height=640&fit=bounds)
![Scala Jump Start [Free Online Meetup in English]](https://cdn.slidesharecdn.com/ss_thumbnails/scalajumpstart202407-240806123226-086f5431-thumbnail.jpg?width=640&height=640&fit=bounds)
![The MVVM Architecture in Java [Free Meetup]](https://cdn.slidesharecdn.com/ss_thumbnails/themvvmarchitecture20230702-240709115838-c4912ba1-thumbnail.jpg?width=640&height=640&fit=bounds)
Vibe Coding vs. Spec-Driven Development [Free Meetup]
- 1. Unlocking The Powerof GenAI in Software Development Spec-Driven Development vs. Vibe Coding Haim Michael blog.lifemichael.com 0001000111001100 1100001000111001 0100010001110011 1000100011100110 1010000100011100 https://lifemichael.com premium training for software developers https://xtremej.dev https://xtremejs.dev https://xtremepython.dev https://xtremeai.dev (coming soon) premium online conferences for software developers
- 2. Introduction This meetup isfor everyone, especially for those who work in software development. Both developers and managers. • Learn about the old-new Spec-Driven Development Methodology • Become aware of the advantages and the disadvantages of Vibe Coding and of Spec-Driven Development.
- 3. The Use ofGenAI in Software Development Software developers are already using GenAI when developing software. They use it mainly for the following purposes: Code Completion, Project Skeleton Generation, Code Review, Tests Generation, Creating Documentation, Getting Explanations, and Agentic Coding.
- 4. What is VibeCoding? Vibe Coding is an informal, intuition-driven style of software development where the developer writes code interactively, improvisationally, and reactively—often with the assistance of AI tools—without first producing structured specifications, models, or architectural artifacts.
- 5. What is Spec-DrivenDevelopment? Spec-Driven Development (SDD) is a software development methodology in which the specification is the primary source of truth that drives all downstream activities: design, code generation, testing, documentation, and even AI-assisted development workflows. SDD starts with structured, machine-readable specifications that guide both developers and AI agents.
- 6. The Benefits ofVibe Coding • Speed We can iterate on ideas much faster. Useful for proofs-of-concept, personal tools, and side projects.
- 7. The Benefits ofVibe Coding • Lower Barriers Non-programmers or people who are less fluent in a specific programming language can still build useful things.
- 8. The Benefits ofVibe Coding • Focus on Behavior & UX We can focus more on what the app does rather than the implementation details.
- 9. The Disadvantages ofVibe Coding • Maintainability Because we are not thoroughly reviewing all the generated code, it may not be well-structured, easy to maintain, or scalable.
- 10. The Disadvantages ofVibe Coding • Quality of The Code The AI-generated code might have bugs, security holes, and edge-case failures that are not obvious.
- 11. The Disadvantages ofVibe Coding • Black Box There is a risk of getting code we don’t understand. If we don’t understand what the code does, debugging or future changes can be hard. The risk for getting “black box” codebases increases.
- 12. When Vibe CodingFits • Rapid Prototyping • Throwaway Projects • Experimenting with Ideas • Simple Programs
- 13. The Benefits ofSpec-Driven Development • Clarity & Alignment The developers, testers, AI agents, and stakeholders refer to the same source of truth.
- 14. The Benefits ofSpec-Driven Development • Code with Fewer Errors Less manual coding usually leads to fewer inconsistencies between the design and the implementation.
- 15. The Benefits ofSpec-Driven Development • Faster Onboarding New team members can quickly understand the system from the spec.
- 16. The Benefits ofSpec-Driven Development • Consistency The documentation, tests, and code remain in sync. The same code style, as well as any other guidelines, applies everywhere in our code.
- 17. Spec-Driven Development Disadvantages •Requires Significant Upfront Effort SDD requires clear, structured specifications before coding begins. Teams must invest time in requirements definition, modeling, and scenario writing, which can delay early visible progress.
- 18. Spec-Driven Development Disadvantages •Not Ideal for Rapid Prototyping SDD demands clear, structured specifications before coding begins. Teams must invest time in requirements definition, modeling, and scenario writing, which can delay early visible progress.
- 19. Spec-Driven Development Disadvantages •Mindset Shift Teams must learn structured specification techniques (EARS, UML, state machines, etc.). Many developers are unused to starting with formalism rather than code. That might cause resistance.
- 20. Spec-Driven Development Disadvantages •Tooling Maturity The AI-IDEs and the agentic development platforms (e.g., Kiro) are still evolving. Some ecosystems may lack seamless integration, strong validation, or complete automation.
- 21. Spec-Driven Development Disadvantages •Increased Initial Complexity For simple applications or one-off internal tools, the overhead of managing specifications outweighs the benefits.
- 22. Spec-Driven Development Disadvantages •Potential for Over Specifications Teams may feel pressured to specify every detail prematurely, which can reduce flexibility and stifle exploration when ambiguity remains valuable.
- 23. Spec-Driven Development Disadvantages •Changes Require Updating The Spec First Once SDD is adopted, informal ad-hoc changes become problematic. Any update must first be reflected in the specification, which adds a layer of process.
- 24. Spec-Driven Development Disadvantages •Dependence on AI Interpretation While the spec is the control layer, AI agents must interpret it correctly. Different models or tools may vary in how they implement constraints or scenarios.
- 25. When Spec-Deriven DevelopmentFits • Large & Long Lived Complex Systems • Multi Agents & Multi Teams Development • Systems with Requirements for High Traceability and Reliability • When The Software Development Relies Mainly on AI • When Governance and Compliance are Especially Important
- 26. Questions & Answers •Thanks for attending my talk! Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: 972.54.6655837 Blog: blog.lifemichael.com