Spec-Driven Development is Waterfall With a Fresh Coat of Paint

This article critiques the resurgence of spec-driven development in AI tooling, arguing it mirrors waterfall methodology with better marketing. It compares classic waterfall phases to modern spec-first AI workflows, highlighting how tools like OpenSpec reintroduce hand-off roles (BAs, POs, architects) that slow teams down. The author advocates for agentic context engineering and lean practices over heavy specification, emphasizing that software is a discovery process where building reveals the right solution. Part of a series on Context Engineering, it warns against premature documentation and promotes iterative, AI-empowered development.