--- title: Write code not specs | daily.dev description: A developer argues for writing code and tests instead of maintaining English-language specs when working with AI coding agents. The core idea: code is precise... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/write-code-not-specs-dswociw3l twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Write code not specs | daily.dev og:description: A developer argues for writing code and tests instead of maintaining English-language specs when working with AI coding agents. The core idea: code is precise... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/write-code-not-specs-dswociw3l og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/dsWOCIw3l.png og:image:alt: Write code not specs og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Write code not specs **[Software Doug](https://daily.dev/sources/softwaredoug)** · 3 min read · 3 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary A developer argues for writing code and tests instead of maintaining English-language specs when working with AI coding agents. The core idea: code is precise and self-documenting, while specs are imprecise and create a dual-maintenance burden. Tests serve as executable requirements, and by writing code to establish patterns, developers build a 'gradually expanding surface of trust' where agents can be given more autonomy in well-tested areas while humans stay hands-on at the frontier. The factory analogy frames the developer as a mechanic who must understand the system deeply to maintain quality, even as agents handle more of the work. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [Dispatches from O'Reilly: The right amount of spec for agentic development](https://daily.dev/posts/dispatches-from-o-reilly-the-right-amount-of-spec-for-agentic-development-jofa5viob) · Stack Overflow Blog · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [AI Agents: Experience Doesn’t Fit in a Prompt](https://daily.dev/posts/ai-agents-experience-doesn-t-fit-in-a-prompt-vunycsiyo) · Atomic Spin · 0 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#ai-agents](https://daily.dev/tags/ai-agents), [#tdd](https://daily.dev/tags/tdd) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/write-code-not-specs-dswociw3l) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"Write code not specs","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/write-code-not-specs-dswociw3l","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/write-code-not-specs-dswociw3l"},"datePublished":"2026-07-04T13:08:06.146Z","dateModified":"2026-07-04T14:21:31.492Z","description":"A developer argues for writing code and tests instead of maintaining English-language specs when working with AI coding agents. 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