Traditional development is code-centric: specifications are written after the fact — if at all — and drift out of date the moment the code changes. The result is maintenance pain, stalled modernization, and systems that no longer match what the business needs. AI coding tools generate code faster, but they don't fix this underlying process problem.
Spec-Driven Development flips the model around. Specifications become the single source of truth that drives code, tests, and validation. The book introduces the AI Unified Process, a lightweight framework that makes spec-driven development practical with today's AI agents — and shows how emerging tools like Amazon Kiro and GitHub Spec Kit fit into the picture.
A hands-on case study runs through the whole book, taking you from requirements to executable code so you can see every step of the lifecycle in action — not just read about it.
Written for software developers, tech leads, and architects. Basic programming knowledge is all you need — no prior requirements engineering or AI tool experience required.
Write specifications that are precise enough for AI agents yet light enough for real projects — living artifacts, not throwaway prompts.
Use specifications to drive code generation and testing, so the system's behavior is defined once and enforced everywhere.
Bring the methodology to your own projects and team workflows — iterations, roles, and artifacts included.
Put AI agents to work across the spec-driven lifecycle: generating, regenerating, and refactoring code, tests, and documentation.
Ten chapters from the why to the how — including a complete case study.
Apress — part of the Apress Pocket Guides series. Compact, practical, and focused.
August 29, 2026. Available for pre-order now in softcover and eBook formats.
Softcover: 979-8-8688-2850-8
eBook: 979-8-8688-2851-5
152 pages with 23 illustrations, including a complete hands-on case study from requirements to executable code.
Pre-order now and be ready on August 29, 2026. Want to go deeper? Workshops and consulting bring the AI Unified Process directly to your team.
