Cavekit Methodology

Core Principle: Specify Before Building

Always define what you want before telling agents how to build it. Go through a cavekit stage — never jump straight from raw requirements to implementation.

Cavekit is a methodology for building software with AI coding agents that puts kits at the center of the development process — code is derived from them, not the other way around. Whether starting from scratch or modernizing an existing system, the principle is the same:

• Greenfield projects: reference material → kits → code
• Rewrites: old code → kits → new code

In both cases, the kits become a living contract that agents consume to continuously build, validate, and refine the application.

Why Kits Are the First-Class Citizen