Defining Agentic Software Development
Defining ASD as a skill and methodology
Agentic Software Development (ASD) is a development methodology in which developers direct coding agents to perform substantial software engineering tasks while maintaining architectural control, quality standards, and accountability for the output.
ASD is not a product feature. It is a skill set that must be deliberately cultivated.
ASD vs. Vibe Coding
The term "vibe coding" coined by Andrej Karpathy in February 2025 and named Collins Word of the Year that same year describes an approach where developers describe projects to AI in natural language and accept generated code without deep review.
Vibe coding treats AI output as finished product rather than draft material. This works for prototypes and throwaway experiments. It fails catastrophically for production systems.
| Aspect | Vibe Coding | ASD |
|---|---|---|
| Review | Abdicates review | Mandates review |
| Understanding | Prioritizes speed | Requires explanation of every line |
| Validation | Execution success = done | Tests, security review, architectural coherence |
Core competencies of ASD
- Context Engineering Structuring information so agents can operate effectively within a codebase
- Output Validation Evaluating agent-generated code for correctness, security, and maintainability
- Intervention Judgment Knowing when to let an agent continue, when to redirect, and when to take over manually
- Workflow Integration Adapting version control, code review, and deployment practices for agent-assisted work
These are learnable skills, not innate abilities. They require practice, feedback, and deliberate refinement the same investment any professional competency demands.
The goal is not to write less code. The goal is to ship better software faster while maintaining the quality standards that enterprise environments require.