Overview
Al Harris from Amazon presents Kiro, an agentic IDE that implements spec-driven development to improve AI coding quality and reliability. The core insight is that structured specification development creates more reliable and maintainable AI-generated code than traditional “vibe coding” approaches, using formal requirements, design artifacts, and property-based testing to ensure code correctness.
Key Takeaways
- Replace ad-hoc prompting with structured workflows - Moving from “vibe coding” to spec-driven development provides guardrails and reproducible processes for AI agents
- Use EARS format for requirements - Structured natural language (Easy Approach to Requirement Syntax) enables property-based testing and automated verification of code correctness
- Leverage MCP servers throughout the development cycle - Integrate external data sources during requirements generation, design, and implementation phases to eliminate context gaps and reduce manual research
- Customize artifacts to match your workflow - Add wireframes, test cases, or domain-specific requirements to specifications since natural language structure allows flexible adaptation without breaking the process
- Iterate on the process itself, not just the output - Challenge initial assumptions and ask agents to research alternatives rather than accepting the first proposed solution
Topics Covered
- 0:00 - Introduction to Kiro and Spec-Driven Development: Overview of Kiro agentic IDE and the problems with traditional “vibe coding” approaches
- 2:00 - The SDLC Compression Problem: How traditional software development lifecycle artifacts can be compressed into a tight feedback loop
- 3:30 - EARS Format and Property-Based Testing: Introduction to structured requirements syntax and how it enables automated correctness verification
- 7:30 - Sharpening Your Toolchain: Live demonstration of using MCP servers to enhance spec generation and implementation
- 15:30 - Customizing Artifacts (400 Grit): Adding wireframes, UI mocks, and test cases to specifications for better clarity
- 19:00 - Iterating on Process (800 Grit): Challenging initial assumptions and researching alternatives to improve design decisions
- 21:00 - Live Demo - Agent Core Implementation: Real-time demonstration of building an AWS Agent Core application using spec-driven development
- 38:00 - Q&A Session: Audience questions covering large codebases, session management, indexing, and brownfield development