Quickstart
From an empty folder to your first shipped feature in under 90 minutes. Here is the whole initiation cycle end-to-end.
Scaffold a project
Run the initializer with your project name. It creates the canonical directory tree with safe, lint-clean defaults in under five seconds.
npx spec-init my-app cd my-app
Python channel?
Prefer the Python channel? pipx install spec-init, then spec-init my-app. Both channels ship the same template payload, verified byte-for-byte on every release.
Run the initiation cycle
Open Claude Code in the new directory and run these skills in order. Each gates the next - you cannot plan before the spec is frozen, and you cannot build before the plan is written.
1
/spec-requirements
At least three rounds of cross-questioning, then freezes claude/srs.md. Refuses to proceed while any of the five mandatory categories is empty.
2
/spec-design
Extracts a design system from your references, or proposes one from the SRS. Never fabricates brand colors when a reference is supplied.
3
/spec-plan
Produces an 8-10 step build plan, each ending in a standalone, testable, runnable deliverable.
4
/spec-feature
Enters the feature cycle: Requirements → Architecting → Product Specs → Tech Specs → Planning → Writing Code.
No skipping
/spec-requirements refuses to proceed until target users, jobs-to-be-done, the success metric, hard constraints, and non-goals are all filled in. Overrides must be logged in design-decisions.md.
What you end up with
A scaffolded project whose memory layer keeps Claude oriented across every future prompt - without re-scanning the repo. CLAUDE.md plus claude/context.md stay under 8,000 tokens on a mature project (NFR-PERF-02).
my-app/ ├─ CLAUDE.md ├─ claude/ │ ├─ srs.md │ ├─ plan.md │ ├─ context.md │ ├─ features.md │ ├─ learnings.md │ └─ design-decisions.md ├─ design/ │ ├─ design.md │ └─ preview/ ├─ .claude/ │ ├─ skills/ │ └─ agents/ ├─ CHANGELOG.md ├─ README.md └─ .spec-init/base/ (snapshot for upgrade)