👻 Meet KIRO: Your AI-Powered Development Companion 🚀
Today, I’m excited to introduce you to KIRO, an innovative agentic IDE that’s transforming how we build software. What makes KIRO special? It goes beyond simple AI chat assistance, introducing a powerful spec-driven development approach combined with intelligent automation through agent hooks.
Getting Started 🎯
Getting up and running with KIRO is straightforward:
- Visit kiro.dev and download the installer
- Run the installer for your OS (Windows, macOS, or Linux)
- Launch KIRO and start coding!
First Run Setup
When you first open KIRO, you’ll go through a quick setup:
- Choose your login method (social or AWS Builder Id options available)
- Import your VS Code settings and extensions (optional)
- Select your preferred theme
- Set up shell integration for command execution
Opening Your Project
Two simple ways to get started: ``bash
Option 1: From terminal
kiro .
Option 2: From KIRO interface
Open KIRO and select your project or work with Kiro to create a new project from a spec
Watch my video First Look at Kiro Agentic IDE
Core Features 💫
Steering Files
Think of steering files as your project’s DNA. They’re markdown documents that tell KIRO about your:
- Architecture
- Tech stack
- Conventions
- Project structure
To create them:
- Click the ghost icon in the sidebar
- Select “Generate Steering Docs”
- Customize the generated files (product.md, structure.md, tech.md)
Pro tip: Add custom steering files like test-driven-development.md to enforce specific development practices!
Vibe Coding Mode
For quick tasks and exploration, use vibe coding through the agentic chat. Perfect for:
- Codebase questions
- Quick prototyping
- Experimental features
Spec-Driven Development
This is where KIRO really shines. Here’s the workflow:
- Requirements Phase
- Describe your feature
- KIRO generates PM-style requirements
- Review and adjust as needed
- Design Phase
- Technical design documentation
- TypeScript interfaces
- Architecture plans
- Implementation details
- Implementation Phase
- Organized task list
- Step-by-step execution of each task that can be further refined from the Kiro chat
- Track progress
Agent Hooks ⚡
Automate repetitive tasks with event-based triggers. Set up hooks for:
- Auto-documentation updates
- README maintenance
- Design system sync
- Project management integration
To create a hook:
- Open the KIRO pane (ghost icon)
- Click + next to “agent hooks”
- Configure your automation
MCP Server Integration
Extend KIRO’s capabilities by connecting external services. Here’s an example Asana integration:
json
{
"mcpServers": {
"asana": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["mcp-remote", "https://mcp.asana.com/sse"]
}
}
}
Real-World Impact 🌟
The spec-driven approach has been particularly powerful for building production-ready features with teams.
Next Steps 🎯
KIRO is currently in public preview with generous free limits. Ready to transform your development workflow?
- Download KIRO from kiro.dev
- Set up your first project
- Create your steering files
- Start building with specs!