Spec-Driven Development vs Vibe Coding: My Honest First Impressions After Trying It

Over the past year, AI-assisted coding has exploded . Tools like Copilot, Claude Code, and GPT-based agents have made it possible to generate large amounts of code simply by describing what you want. As this space evolves, two very different approaches have started to emerge: Vibe Coding — directly prompting the AI and iterating quickly Spec-Driven Development — using frameworks that generate structured specifications, user stories, and tasks before code is written Spec-Driven Development is currently being promoted as the correct way to build serious applications with AI. The idea is that instead of randomly prompting an AI model, you give it a structured environment where requirements are broken down systematically. But after actually trying it on a real project, I found that the reality is more nuanced. This article shares my first impressions after experimenting with Spec-Driven Development , using OpenSpec as the framework. Watch Full Video What Spec-Driven Development Actually Is