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Updated Feb 10, 2026
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Chapter 13: Master Spec-Kit Plus

Welcome to hands-on specification-driven development. This chapter transforms understanding (from Chapter 12) into practice. You won't read about Spec-Kit Plus—you'll use every command. You won't learn workflow in isolation—you'll execute it end-to-end on a real project.

Your Project: Write a research paper using Spec-Kit Plus workflow. Simple, yes. But it forces you to master /sp.constitution, /sp.specify, /sp.clarify, /sp.plan, /sp.tasks, /sp.implement—the exact commands you'll use on every project forward.

Why a Research Paper? Because a research paper has clear structure, measurable success criteria, and iteration loops—everything that makes Spec-Kit Plus powerful.

Prerequisites​

Before starting this chapter, ensure you have:

  • Chapter 12 Complete: You understand SDD-RI theory (specification primacy, intelligence accumulation)
  • AI Companion Ready: Claude Code or Gemini CLI installed and configured
  • Markdown Basics: From Chapter 2 (how to write markdown)
  • Terminal Comfort: From Chapter 6 (basic bash commands)
  • Text Editor: Any editor (VS Code, Cursor, terminal-based)

📚 Teaching Aid​

What You'll Learn​

  1. Spec-Kit Plus Foundation — What Spec-Kit Plus is, Why this book uses it, How it orchestrates SDD-RI phases
  2. Installation & Setup — Configure your AI companion, understand project structure, prepare your workspace
  3. Constitution Phase — Using /sp.constitution to define project-wide quality standards for research papers
  4. Specify Phase — Using /sp.specify to write clear, testable requirements from vague project ideas
  5. Clarify Phase — Using /sp.clarify to identify missing constraints and edge cases iteratively
  6. Plan Phase — Using /sp.plan to generate architecture and design decisions
  7. Tasks Phase — Using /sp.tasks to decompose work into atomic, checkpoint-driven units
  8. Implement Phase — Using /sp.implement to execute tasks with AI collaboration
  9. Designing Reusable Intelligence — Creating reusable components (skills, subagents, tools) using P+Q+P pattern
  10. Brownfield Adoption — Adding Spec-Kit Plus to existing projects safely
  11. Capstone Execution — Applying the full workflow end-to-end, demonstrating mastery through skill reuse
  12. Quiz — Validate your understanding of each command and when to use it

By the end, you'll have shipped a research paper entirely through Spec-Kit Plus workflow—and you'll understand how to apply this to any project.