Addy Osmani created agent-skills not as another "specification format," but as a specific behavioral framework designed to stop AI agents from "vibe coding"—the tendency of LLMs to take the shortest path to "done" by skipping the rigorous steps a senior engineer would take.
While tools like github/spec-kit or openspec.dev focus on the structure of a document (the "what"), Addy's project focuses on the workflow and psychological discipline of the agent (the "how").
The most significant innovation in Addy’s kit is the inclusion of Anti-Rationalization tables. He observed that LLMs are excellent at making excuses to skip work (e.g., "This change is too small for a test").
- Existing Tools: Usually define a template for a spec or a plan.
- Agent-Skills: Includes a "pre-written rebuttal" for common AI excuses. If the agent thinks, "I'll write tests later," the skill forces it to read: *"Later is the l
