kiro (jasonkneen) — Summary

kiro (jasonkneen) is a methodology documentation and Claude Code plugin that packages the complete Kiro IDE spec-driven development methodology as a portable skill pack for Claude Code (and Cursor, VSCode, Windsurf). It ships a .claude-plugin/ package (plugin name: kiro-spec-driven), 8 Claude Code skills covering spec-driven development phases (requirements-engineering, design-documentation, task-breakdown, ai-prompting, quality-assurance, troubleshooting, create-steering-documents), a Kiro IDE system prompt (complete-instructions.md), and a comprehensive process-guide documentation tree (spec-process-guide/). The core value is making the proprietary Kiro IDE workflow available in open AI clients, plus a standalone reference guide on spec-driven development with EARS notation. Version 1.0.0, 665 stars, MIT license, 3 contributors, last commit January 2026.

Differs from seeds: This is a direct port of the kiro seed's methodology into Claude Code's plugin format. The .kiro/system/complete-instructions.md is the verbatim Kiro IDE system prompt extracted from the IDE (identifiable by Kiro's brand voice guidelines and fsWrite tool references). Compared to cc-sdd (which is also Kiro-inspired), kiro-jasonkneen ships the actual Kiro system prompt rather than reimplementing the workflow; it has 0 CLI binary, 0 commands, 2 hooks (unknown), and relies on skills rather than explicit slash commands.

kiro (jasonkneen) — Overview

Origin

Created by Jason Kneen (@jasonkneen) to make the Kiro IDE methodology portable. The .kiro/system/complete-instructions.md is the verbatim Kiro IDE system prompt, identifiable by its "Identity: You are Kiro" opening, brand voice guidelines ("We are knowledgeable. We are not instructive."), and fsWrite tool references. The repository also ships example steering documents (.kiro/steering/), a comprehensive spec-process-guide documentation tree, and a Claude Code plugin manifest. 665 stars, MIT license, 3 contributors. Last commit January 2026.

Philosophy (From README)

"A comprehensive guide to systematic feature development using the three-phase spec process: Requirements → Design → Tasks."

From the Kiro system prompt (complete-instructions.md, verbatim):

"We are knowledgeable. We are not instructive. In order to inspire confidence in the programmers we partner with, we've got to bring our expertise and show we know our Java from our JavaScript. But we show up on their level and speak their language, though never in a way that's condescending or off-putting."

"We are supportive, not authoritative. Coding is hard work, we get it. That's why our tone is also grounded in compassion and understanding so every programmer feels welcome and comfortable using Kiro."

"Keep the cadence quick and easy. Avoid long, elaborate sentences and punctuation that breaks up copy (em dashes) or is too exaggerated (exclamation points)."

Key Components

1. Verbatim Kiro system prompt (.kiro/system/complete-instructions.md) — the complete identity, capabilities, rules, and response-style guidelines from the Kiro IDE, adapted for Claude Code.
2. 8 skills for spec-driven development phases — requirements-engineering (EARS), design-documentation, task-breakdown, etc.
3. 2 slash commands — create-steering-documents and create-steering-documents-standalone.
4. Sample steering documents — 6 example .kiro/steering/ files covering project standards, git workflow, API design, frontend standards.
5. Comprehensive process guide — spec-process-guide/ tree with methodology, process, AI-reasoning, prompting strategies, examples, and resources.

Attribution

README notes: "Used by @kazini in their spec kit https://github.com/kazini/yask-spec-kit" and "Amazon in internal presentations: 'It's the best stuff I have found on [spec driven development].'"

kiro (jasonkneen) — Architecture

Distribution

• Claude Code plugin: .claude-plugin/ (plugin name: kiro-spec-driven, version 1.0.0)
• MCP server: mcp-server/ (present in repo)
• Web app example: kiro-web-app/ (present in repo)
• Language: Markdown (skills, commands, steering), TypeScript (MCP server, web app)
• MIT license

Install

# As Claude Code plugin (if marketplace-listed):
/plugin install kiro-spec-driven

# Manual:
git clone https://github.com/jasonkneen/kiro.git
cp -r skills/ .claude/skills/
cp -r commands/ .claude/commands/

Directory Tree

.claude-plugin/
  plugin.json         # Claude Code plugin manifest
  marketplace.json    # Marketplace listing metadata

skills/
  README.md
  ai-prompting/
    SKILL.md
  create-steering-documents/
    SKILL.md
  design-documentation/
    SKILL.md
  quality-assurance/
    SKILL.md
  requirements-engineering/
    SKILL.md
  spec-driven-development/
    SKILL.md
  task-breakdown/
    SKILL.md
  troubleshooting/
    SKILL.md

commands/
  create-steering-documents.md
  create-steering-documents-standalone.md

.kiro/
  steering/
    api-design.md
    development-environment.md
    frontend-standards.md
    git-workflow.md
    project-standards.md
    steering-creation-guide.md
  system/
    complete-instructions.md
    capabilities.md
    guidelines.md
    quality-standards.md
    response-style.md
    workflow-patterns.md

spec-process-guide/
  methodology/
  process/
  ai-reasoning/
  prompting/
  execution/
  examples/
  resources/
  templates/
  NAVIGATION.md

mcp-server/
  (TypeScript MCP server source)

kiro-web-app/
  (Web application example)

Target AI Tools

Claude Code (primary), Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf (per SKILL.md compatibility front-matter).

Required Runtime

None — skill pack only; no compilation required.

kiro (jasonkneen) — Components

Skills (8, in skills/)

Slash Commands (2)

Kiro System Prompt

Example Steering Documents (6)

Process Guide Documentation

Comprehensive tree in spec-process-guide/: methodology, process (3-phase walkthrough), AI-reasoning (decision frameworks), prompting strategies, execution guide, examples (simple + complex), resources (EARS standards), templates (requirements, design, tasks).

kiro (jasonkneen) — Uniqueness and Positioning

Differs from Seeds

This is a direct port of the kiro seed's methodology into Claude Code's plugin format. The .kiro/system/complete-instructions.md is the verbatim Kiro IDE system prompt (confirmed by "You are Kiro" identity opening and fsWrite tool references). Compared to cc-sdd (which reimplements the Kiro workflow with 17 skills and autonomous implementation), kiro-jasonkneen ships the source-of-truth system prompt and reference documentation rather than an extended workflow. Compared to superpowers, it has no Iron Law enforcement or hooks — skills are invoked manually. It is closer to Archetype 2 (mirror skills + commands) than Archetype 1 (skills-only).

Distinctive Positioning

1. Verbatim Kiro system prompt: The only framework in the batch that ships the actual Kiro IDE system prompt verbatim — valuable for teams wanting to emulate Kiro's brand voice and reasoning style in Claude Code.
2. Comprehensive process guide: spec-process-guide/ is the most complete methodology reference in the batch — covers AI reasoning frameworks, prompting strategies, and EARS standards with detailed examples.
3. High adoption: 665 stars despite being essentially a methodology port — indicates demand for the Kiro workflow outside of the paid IDE.
4. Multi-tool compatibility declaration: SKILL.md front-matter explicitly lists compatibility: Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf — broadest declared compatibility in the batch.

Observable Failure Modes

1. January 2026 last commit: Possibly dormant; Kiro IDE has continued evolving; system prompt may be stale.
2. No hook-based enforcement: Without hooks, skill invocation is purely manual — users must remember to run requirements-engineering before design-documentation.
3. MCP server not analyzed in depth: mcp-server/ exists but exact tools unknown; may overlap or conflict with the skill pack.
4. Identity injection risk: Loading "You are Kiro" identity into Claude Code could confuse the agent's self-model if other plugins also define identity.