Skip to main content

One post tagged with "Requirements Engineering"

Requirements analysis and specification techniques

View All Tags

Spec-Driven Development: A Systematic Approach to Complex Features

· 18 min read
Marvin Zhang
Software Engineer & Open Source Enthusiast

Introduction: The Challenge of Complex Feature Development

Every developer knows the feeling of staring at a complex requirement and wondering where to begin. Modern software development increasingly involves building systems that integrate multiple services, handle diverse data formats, and coordinate across different APIs. What appears straightforward in initial specifications often evolves into intricate webs of interdependent components, each with their own constraints and edge cases.

This complexity manifests in several common development challenges that teams face regardless of their experience level or technology stack. Projects frequently suffer from scope creep as requirements evolve during implementation. Developers spend significant time explaining context to AI assistants or team members, often repeating the same architectural constraints across multiple conversations. Technical debt accumulates as developers make hasty decisions under pressure, leading to systems that become increasingly difficult to maintain and extend.

Related Reading

For a deeper exploration of how complexity emerges and accumulates in software projects, see my previous analysis: Why Do We Need to Consider Complexity in Software Projects?