New course: Spec-Driven Development with Coding Agents, built in partnership with JetBrains, and taught by Paul Everitt | @[email protected]. Vibe coding is fast, but often produces code that doesn't match what you asked for. This short course teaches you spec-driven development: write a detailed spec defining what to build,... and work with your coding agent to implement it. Many of the best developers already build this way. A spec lets you control large code changes with a few words, preserve context across agent sessions, and stay in control as your project grows in complexity. Skills you'll gain: - Write a detailed specification to define your mission, tech stack, and roadmap, giving your agent the context it needs from the start - Plan, implement, and validate features in iterative loops using a spec as your agent's guide - Apply the same repeatable workflow to both new and legacy codebases - Package your workflow into a portable agent skill that works across agents and IDEs Join and write specs that keep your coding agent on track!show more

@jetbrains @paulweveritt Great to see the rise of Spec Driven Development in the AI Agentic space. I’m bullish too. As a follow up for those who are interested, can try SpecOps, it makes AI agents to think before it code.

@jetbrains @paulweveritt Super cool to see this! Wrote about this idea last month, given my own experience: Spec-driven development is quickly becoming a key skill for everyone (developer and non-developer) to master

@jetbrains @paulweveritt Specs are how developers think. Operators think in failure modes. After 11 years in ops, I describe what breaks the business if the output is wrong. AI handles the rest. Same outcome as a spec but written from the consequences backward.

@jetbrains @paulweveritt Specs are the closest thing to a formal contract between intent and execution. The gap vibe coding leaves isn't style, it's verifiability. Good specs make failure modes enumerable before you ship.

@jetbrains @paulweveritt Post watching the course, if you want to setup the spec-driven framework in a new or existing project, I have written two starter kits that you might find useful. Claude SDD starter kit: Cursor SDD starter kit:

@jetbrains @paulweveritt Spec-driven development isn't new, but pairing it with coding agents may help make it 10x more powerful. It's how we move from fun prototypes to reliable production code

@jetbrains @paulweveritt I've been doing SDD using GitHub Spec-Kit for past few months, tbh awesome experience so far, a little lengthy process but you'll get production-ready code.

@jetbrains @paulweveritt Spec-driven dev with agents sounds like a great way to reduce those "lost in translation" bugs! My OCR work taught me the importance of precise specs for reliable results. Good luck with the course, @

Spec-driven development flips the agency problem: agents become execution engines for explicit requirements, not oracles guessing intent. Teams that can write specs WIN. Teams that treat prompts like wishes lose. This is less about better coding and more about enforcing organizational rigor at the tool level.

@jetbrains @paulweveritt This is the right direction. The practical unlock is that specs are not just for code quality, they are how teams make agent output reviewable enough for real workflows.

@jetbrains @paulweveritt We may look back on vibe coding the way we look back on building cities without blueprints. Fun at small scale, chaos at large scale. Specs feel like the moment agentic software starts growing up

This validates what practitioners are converging on: specs are the durable artifact, not code. The open question is what happens when specs move from static docs to queryable architecture — strategy graphs agents can traverse and verify against via tool calls, not files they interpret. Wrote about this here:

@jetbrains @paulweveritt My reaction after going through the course. :-( I thought Vibe coding was the way to go. SDD makes a lot of sense.

@jetbrains @paulweveritt The spec layer is what turns vibe-coded prototypes into production systems that don’t forget context after 24 hours. I am already wiring detailed specs directly into persistent second brain loops

@jetbrains @paulweveritt Spec-driven dev with agents? Very interesting! As a CPA, I see parallels with precise accounting standards. Ambiguity kills efficiency. Wonder if it helps with auditability too 🤔

@jetbrains @paulweveritt Yes, SDD!

@jetbrains @paulweveritt Spec-driven dev with agents? Sounds powerful! In my experience, precision in the initial "ask" is key for accurate AI output. Looking forward to seeing how this course tackles it!

@jetbrains @paulweveritt Sounds like a smart approach to rein in those AI coding agents! Specs are key for consistent results, especially when dealing with complex logic. I see parallels with financial audits - clear spec, cl

@jetbrains @paulweveritt Definitely finding spec-driven development to be poweful when working with agents. 🦞

@jetbrains @paulweveritt The missing piece in spec-driven dev: most people don't know what "done" looks like until they see something wrong. The spec isn't the bottleneck — clarifying intent before writing it is. Antifragile: constraints make outputs robust. Vague spec = random product.

@jetbrains @paulweveritt Spec-driven development is the missing piece in the vibe coding revolution. Writing a clear spec before letting the agent loose is basically prompt engineering for code and it makes the output 10x more predictable. Great collab with JetBrains

@jetbrains @paulweveritt spec-driven development is the missing piece most people skip when vibe coding. writing a detailed spec before handing off to an agent cuts iteration cycles in half because the agent stops guessing what you meant.

@jetbrains @paulweveritt Spec-driven workflows unlock precision at scale.

@jetbrains @paulweveritt The shift from vibe coding to spec-driven dev is really a shift from implicit to explicit taste. Agents expose every assumption you never had to articulate before.

@jetbrains @paulweveritt Spec-driven coding sharpens intent and outcomes

@jetbrains @paulweveritt This looks excellent. Vibe coding is fast until it isn't. Loving the shift to spec-driven development with agents; clear specs, better control, and reusable workflow. Great move from JetBrains + Paul Everitt. Signing up! 🚀

@jetbrains @paulweveritt Vibecoding is fast but sloppy you write a clear, detailed spec first, then let the agent build from it. Keeps you in control and makes agent coding actually reliable for real projects. Smart and very timely...

@jetbrains @paulweveritt This is cool. Will definitely check it out.

@jetbrains @paulweveritt Spec-driven for coding, budget-and-scope-driven for transactions. Same principle — the more precisely you define the boundaries upfront, the more you can trust the agent to execute without checking back. The spec is the trust layer.

@jetbrains @paulweveritt Le spec-driven development me rappelle les cahiers des charges industriels. La rigueur documentaire reste la clé, même avec des agents IA de plus en plus performants. Belle initiative.

@jetbrains @paulweveritt Spec-driven dev with agents? Sounds like a great way to ensure those AI-generated lines actually *do* what you intend. Precision is key! Will check it out.

@jetbrains @paulweveritt "Vibe coding" breaks the moment ambiguity gets expensive. Specs aren't bureaucracy; they're compression for intent. The better the spec, the less time you waste debugging what the model thought you meant.

@jetbrains @paulweveritt Do you have a TDD with Coding Agents course?

@jetbrains @paulweveritt Vibe coding saves time until you're debugging for days. Spec-driven is the unglamorous but right move. Everyone building with agents needs to learn this.

@jetbrains @paulweveritt Sharper specs, smoother builds—love this.