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Trial spec-driven development with spec-kit on an existing app

Birgitta Böckeler tried GitHub's spec-kit workflow with Copilot in VS Code on a mid-sized dashboard feature and found the process heavy for the size of the task.

Try the promptRead the original (opens in a new tab)

The problem

How it works

As part of comparing Kiro, spec-kit and Tessl, she ran spec-kit's slash-command workflow (starting with /specify) through GitHub Copilot in VS Code. The target was a new modal summarizing data from an existing dashboard, which she sized as a 3-5 point story with many dependencies on existing code.

Results and limitations

She reports the workflow generated many repetitive markdown files that were tedious to review, that the agent sometimes treated notes about existing classes as new specifications and duplicated them, and that plain AI-assisted coding would have been as fast. She did not finish the implementation.

Before you try it

One person, one unfinished feature, and tool versions from October 2025 that may have changed. It is an expert's qualitative assessment, not a measured study.

Tools and repositories

Tools
spec-kit · GitHub Copilot · VS Code

Try it yourself: Pilot spec-driven development on one small feature

Fill the fields to adapt the prompt. Empty fields stay as visible [placeholders].

Preview
We want to test whether spec-driven development fits our team. Using [Spec-driven tool] in [Repository path], take the feature described in [Feature brief] and draft only the specification and plan stages. Before writing anything, list the existing modules the feature touches and mark which parts of the spec describe existing behavior and which describe new behavior, so nothing gets regenerated. Keep the spec under [Maximum spec length (pages)] pages and flag any step that feels redundant. Do not write implementation code or modify existing files yet. At the end, estimate how long a reviewer needs for these documents compared with implementing [Feature brief] directly through normal agent-assisted coding.

Time-box the pilot and compare review effort honestly before adopting the workflow across a team.

Related videos

About github/spec-kit

About github/spec-kit

Independent creators. Listing a video implies no endorsement, sponsorship or partnership.

Sources

  1. Understanding Spec-Driven-Development: Kiro, spec-kit, and Tessl (opens in a new tab)

    First-person account · martinfowler.com · Published 15 Oct 2025 · Source checked 9 Nov 2026, 22:15 UTC

    What this source supports
    • spec-kit used with GitHub Copilot in VS Code
    • Feature was a dashboard summary modal sized at 3-5 points
    • Many repetitive markdown files, tedious to review
    • Agent duplicated existing classes as new specs
    • Implementation not finished
Report a problem

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