> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.zencoder.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Module 5: Spec Driven Development

## Intro

Module 5 introduces Spec-Driven Development: drafting a precise spec—requirements, design, and plan—that agents can execute, blending TDD discipline with custom helper agents to explore architecture, refine plans, and implement confidently.

## Video lesson

<div className="mb-4" data-copy-exclude="true">
  <a className="inline-flex items-center gap-2 rounded-xl border border-[#F24A07] bg-[#F24A07] text-white px-4 py-2.5 text-base font-semibold shadow-sm hover:bg-[#d13d05] transition" href="https://www.udemy.com/course/the-10x-engineer-professional-ai-certification/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">
    <span>Course on Udemy</span>
  </a>
</div>

The full video is available on Udemy.

## Key takeaways

* Treat specs as living contracts—capture goals, user stories, architecture notes, and planned steps before asking agents to code.
* Store specs alongside the project (e.g., `specs/spec.md`) so agents can read them directly and you can version-control the rationale.
* Use agents to research existing structure: a tailored “SpecHelper” can survey APIs/components, annotate current behavior, and propose pseudocode adjustments.
* Validate the helper’s findings line by line; clarifying early (e.g., total agent count source) prevents downstream confusion.
* Encode implementation “tenets” in the plan—follow TDD, run lint before each commit, keep commits scoped—to align agent actions with team standards.
* Transform high-level draft steps into actionable checklists; ASCII checkboxes make progress visible during the build.
* During implementation, loop with the Code Agent: read the spec, execute each checkbox (tests first, then code, lint, commit), and iterate until all pass.
* Finish with manual verification for UI changes, then hand back to the agent for final linting and commit to maintain consistency.