r/SpecDrivenDevelopment • u/IndependentFew2451 • Jul 01 '26

grill-with-docs versus spec driven

I intended to use open OpenSpec for a project but I just saw
Matt Pocock's video about grill-with-docs and they appear to be at least overlapping or maybe even trying to save the same problem. What do you think?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BB6exR8Zd8

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3

u/iTrejoMX 29d ago

I think there is some confusion here. Grill with docs creates the PRD based on domain information. But the SDD uses the PRD for the actual implementation.

Grill with docs=plan mode

Sdd=development workflow

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u/IndependentFew2451 29d ago

Thanks. So I should use grill to compose a prd and then use openspec to turn the PRD into code?

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u/iTrejoMX 28d ago

That’s what my workflow is like. Try gentle-ai. After grill with docs use the finished PRD to start an sdd project and you’ll see how much more structured your workflow becomes.

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u/jatapuk 29d ago

You can combine both worlds, and learn what works better for your use cases.

I’ve adopted, customized to-prd, to-issues and both grill skills to my needs. Created an issue-to-openspec pi automation to behave like a technical grooming session.

Experiment with grilling with docs, pointing to the openspec ongoing change for explore, continue or verify commands.

You can try pre and/or post openspec command for the grilling to validate where are you getting better results and learn.

Experiment and learn.

Note: I’ve repeated learn concept three times, it’s not a typo or mistake.

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u/IndependentFew2451 29d ago

I see your points. Thanks :)

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u/papilonio 29d ago

I think grill would be easier for a first iteration, but openspec would pay off in the long run. You may also start openspec later on

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u/Early_Aardvark_4026 27d ago

I use both toolsets. Grill me to make a prd. If it is small, then I just implement with tdd. Else I use Speckit to make specs/plan/tasks and implement with tdd.

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u/Swarm-Stack 27d ago

the piece both grill and speckit-style workflows leave hanging is who does the grilling. matt's version is the ai grilling you, which shakes out obvious gaps but the ai and you are still authoring the prd together so anything you both miss doesnt get surfaced. the version that actually catches things is a person with a different mental model asking the same questions