Solo Developer Workflow

Quick iteration for individual developers using Spec Kitty with a single AI agent.

Context

  • Developer: Solo full-stack engineer
  • Agent: Claude Code (or Cursor, Gemini, etc.)
  • Pattern: Fast iteration with systematic tracking
  • Benefit: Dashboard provides visual progress even working solo

Complete Workflow

0. Install & Initialize (One-time)

# Install CLI
pipx install spec-kitty-cli

# Initialize project
spec-kitty init my-saas-app --ai claude

# Navigate to project
cd my-saas-app

1. Project Setup (One-time)

Start your AI agent:

claude

Create project principles:

/spec-kitty.charter

Create principles focused on:
- Code quality: Clean, well-documented code
- Testing: Unit tests for all business logic
- Security: Input validation and sanitization
- Performance: Sub-200ms API responses

2. Start First Feature

Define what to build:

/spec-kitty.specify

Build a user authentication system with email/password login,
password reset via email, and session management. Users should
be able to register, login, logout, and recover forgotten passwords.
Include rate limiting on auth endpoints.

Important: After specify completes, switch to the feature worktree:

cd .worktrees/001-auth-system
claude  # Restart agent in feature worktree

3. Technical Planning

Define how to build it:

/spec-kitty.plan

Use Python FastAPI for backend, PostgreSQL for database,
JWT tokens for sessions, bcrypt for password hashing,
SendGrid for email delivery, Redis for rate limiting.

4. Optional: Research

If you need to investigate technical decisions:

/spec-kitty.research

Investigate JWT refresh token rotation best practices
and rate limiting strategies for authentication endpoints.

5. Break Down Into Tasks

Generate work packages:

/spec-kitty.tasks

Check your dashboard:

# Open in browser (already running from init)
open http://localhost:3000

You'll see your tasks organized in the "Planned" lane!

6. Implement Feature

Execute implementation:

/spec-kitty.implement

The command will:

  • Move a work package to "doing"
  • Implement according to plan
  • Move to "for_review" when complete

Repeat /spec-kitty.implement until all work packages are done.

Monitor progress: Keep dashboard open in browser to see tasks moving through lanes.

7. Self-Review

Review your completed work:

/spec-kitty.review

This helps catch issues before considering the feature complete.

8. Validate & Ship

Final validation:

/spec-kitty.accept

Consolidate the mission into your local primary branch:

/spec-kitty.merge

Result: Mission complete, worktree cleaned up, back in your repository-root checkout!

9. Start Next Feature

cd ~/my-saas-app  # Back to main repo
claude

Then repeat from step 2 with a new feature!

Dashboard Benefits for Solo Developers

Even working alone, the dashboard provides:

  1. Visual Progress - See exactly where you are in the feature
  2. Context Recovery - Return after interruption and know what's next
  3. Motivation - Watch tasks move from planned → done
  4. Documentation - Activity logs show your development history
  5. Quality - Systematic workflow prevents skipping steps

Time Estimates

Phase Time (Simple Feature) Time (Complex Feature)
Charter 10 min (one-time) 10 min (one-time)
Specify 5-10 min 15-30 min
Plan 5-10 min 15-30 min
Tasks 2 min 2 min
Implement 30-60 min 2-8 hours
Review 5-10 min 15-30 min
Accept & Merge 2 min 5 min
Total ~1 hour ~3-10 hours

Tips for Solo Developers

  • Keep dashboard open - It's your visual TODO list
  • One feature at a time - Resist urge to skip worktree workflow
  • Pressure-test the spec before planning - Resolve open questions in the spec itself before /spec-kitty.plan
  • Self-review seriously - /spec-kitty.review catches bugs early
  • Charter matters - Even solo, it keeps you consistent
  • Don't skip acceptance - /spec-kitty.accept ensures quality gates

Common Solo Developer Questions

Q: Is this overkill for small features? A: For tiny changes, yes. For anything >30 min of coding, the structure helps.

Q: Can I skip the worktree? A: Technically yes (Spec Kitty falls back), but worktrees prevent branch switching confusion.

Q: Do I need the dashboard if I'm solo? A: It's optional but highly recommended - provides visual progress and easy resumption.

Q: What if I need to pause mid-feature? A: Just stop. Dashboard shows where you left off. Pick up with /spec-kitty.implement later.

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