Specsmaxxing – On overcoming AI psychosis, and why I write specs in YAML

Hacker News / 5/3/2026

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Key Points

  • The article argues that writing clear specifications (specs) can help teams reduce confusion and prevent “AI psychosis,” a term used to describe harmful or erratic outcomes from over-trusting or misusing AI systems.
  • It explains a workflow for drafting specs in YAML, emphasizing readability, structure, and repeatability for both humans and automated tooling.
  • The author discusses why a machine-friendly format like YAML can improve collaboration, review, and downstream implementation accuracy.
  • It frames “specsmaxxing” as a practical mindset shift: investing more effort in precise requirements to get more reliable results from AI-assisted development.

Article URL: https://acai.sh/blog/specsmaxxing

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47994012

Points: 187

# Comments: 208