Finally Off the Kiro Waitlist: Exploring Spec-Driven Development

After three weeks on the waitlist, I finally got access to Kiro! What I discovered was more than just another AI coding tool – it's a fundamentally different approach to building software that focuses on spec-driven development and strategic thinking partnership.

Kiro vs Claude Code: Different Philosophies

The key difference is philosophical. Claude Code excels at conversational planning – helping you think through problems in real-time, like a smart colleague for rubber duck debugging. Kiro takes a strategic approach, guiding you through the entire journey from fuzzy idea to working product.

While Claude Code helps you code better, Kiro helps you think like a product person, system designer, and engineer simultaneously. It's the difference between a code completion tool and a strategic thinking partner.

Spec-Driven Development: A Game Changer

Spec-driven development is like having a GPS for product development. Instead of jumping from idea to code, Kiro walks you through three phases:

1. Requirements - Edge cases, user stories, acceptance criteria
2. Design - Architecture, data models, interfaces
3. Implementation - Sequential, manageable tasks

This process makes you a better product thinker by forcing you to consider problems before they become production issues. Instead of carrying requirements, design decisions, and implementation details in your head, everything is documented and structured.

The result? You build on a foundation instead of quicksand. Every feature gets evaluated against existing requirements, every decision has context, and every task builds logically on previous ones.

Agent Steering: Context That Actually Works

Agent steering files teach the AI to think about your specific project. Kiro automatically generated three comprehensive files for my setup:

• Product file - Captured my vision, target audience, and brand identity
• Structure file - Mapped my monorepo organization and naming conventions
• Tech file - Documented my full development workflow and tool choices

The accuracy was impressive. Instead of repeatedly explaining "we use pnpm, not npm" or "remember we're using App Router," every interaction starts from shared understanding. It's like working with a teammate who's been on the project for months.

Technical Foundation

Kiro runs on Anthropic's latest Sonnet models (3.7 and 4), and the leap in reasoning and planning capabilities is noticeable. These models excel at structured thinking required for spec-driven development – understanding not just code syntax, but product methodology and system design principles.

The platform is currently in free public preview, making it accessible for experimentation without subscription commitments. The team actively iterates based on user feedback, and I've already seen improvements in my short time using it.

The Bigger Picture

Kiro represents more than just "AI helps you code faster." It changes the entire development process by forcing deeper thinking before building, creating AI collaboration that feels like working with a knowledgeable teammate, and making you a better product developer overall.

The potential for team collaboration is exciting – shared specs as living documentation, AI agents that understand your team's practices, and reduced miscommunication during onboarding.

Happy coding! 🚀