🔗 Waterfall was never the problem

Spec-Driven Development is often dismissed as merely another form of waterfall. However, Simon Martinelli argues that misconceptions about the waterfall model stem from a lack of understanding of Winston Royce's original intentions. Royce didn’t advocate for the strict form people criticize; he pointed out the risks and proposed feedback loops for improvement. In practice, plan-driven models like waterfall work well in stable environments where changes are costly. The real issue lies with the handoff between teams, leading to delays and increased costs. With the advent of AI in Spec-Driven Development, the process has transformed. Specifications can be executable, reducing the time from concept to code to mere minutes, effectively lowering costs and challenges associated with late changes. Martinelli emphasizes that adopting these modern tools aligns with Royce's early vision, which many have overlooked.