Day 1: Welcome to Kiro
What You'll Learn Today
- What Kiro is and why it matters
- How Kiro differs from other AI coding tools
- Installing and setting up Kiro
- Starting your first project
The Evolution of AI Coding Tools
Since 2023, AI coding tools have evolved rapidly. GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code, and many others have significantly improved developer productivity.
However, these tools share common challenges.
The "Vibe Coding" Problem
flowchart LR
subgraph Traditional["Traditional AI Coding"]
A["Idea"] --> B["Prompt"]
B --> C["Code Generation"]
C --> D{"Works?"}
D -->|No| B
D -->|Yes| E["Next Feature"]
E --> B
end
style Traditional fill:#f59e0b,color:#fff
In traditional AI coding, developers repeatedly adjust prompts and iterate until the generated code works. This is called "Vibe Coding" and leads to several problems:
| Problem | Impact |
|---|---|
| Vague Requirements | Development proceeds without clear goals |
| Missing Documentation | No record of what was built or why |
| Insufficient Testing | Can't write tests without clear requirements |
| Technical Debt | Ad-hoc code accumulates over time |
What is Kiro?
Kiro is an agentic IDE released by AWS in July 2025. Built on Code OSS (the same foundation as VS Code), it feels immediately familiar to VS Code users.
flowchart TB
subgraph Kiro["Kiro Development Flow"]
direction TB
A["Idea"]
subgraph Specs["Spec-Driven Development"]
B["Requirements"]
C["Design"]
D["Tasks"]
end
E["Implementation"]
F["Completion"]
end
A --> B
B --> C
C --> D
D --> E
E --> F
style Kiro fill:#3b82f6,color:#fff
style Specs fill:#8b5cf6,color:#fff
Key Features
What sets Kiro apart from other AI coding tools is its Spec-Driven Development approach.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Spec-Driven Development | Clarify requirements, design, and tasks before coding |
| Agentic | AI autonomously performs file operations and commands |
| Steering | Teach AI your project's rules and conventions |
| Hooks | Automate actions on events like file changes |
| MCP Integration | Connect external tools and data sources |
| Powers | Add domain expertise with one click |
Why Use Kiro?
flowchart LR
subgraph Benefits["Kiro Benefits"]
B1["Clear Requirements"]
B2["Visible Design"]
B3["Progress Tracking"]
B4["Quality Improvement"]
end
B1 --> B2
B2 --> B3
B3 --> B4
style Benefits fill:#22c55e,color:#fff
- Clear Requirements: Transform vague ideas into structured requirements
- Visible Design: Document architecture and data flows
- Progress Tracking: Monitor task completion in real-time
- Quality Improvement: Traceability from requirements to tests
Installing Kiro
System Requirements
Kiro runs on:
- macOS: Apple Silicon (M1 and later) / Intel
- Windows: Windows 10 or later
- Linux: Major distributions
Installation Steps
-
Download: Visit kiro.dev and download the installer for your OS
-
Install: Open the downloaded file and follow the installation instructions
-
Launch: Open Kiro IDE
Initial Setup
When you first launch Kiro, you'll see several setup screens.
flowchart TB
A["Launch Kiro"] --> B["Authentication"]
B --> C["Import VS Code\nSettings"]
C --> D["Theme Selection"]
D --> E["Shell Integration"]
E --> F["Open Project"]
style A fill:#3b82f6,color:#fff
style F fill:#22c55e,color:#fff
1. Authentication
Sign in with social login (Google, GitHub, etc.) or AWS credentials. An AWS account is not required.
2. Import VS Code Settings (Optional)
Existing VS Code users can import their settings and extensions, preserving keybindings, themes, and other preferences.
3. Theme Selection
Choose between dark or light themes.
4. Shell Integration
Allow Kiro to execute terminal commands. This enables the AI to run builds, tests, and perform file operations.
Your First Project
Once Kiro is set up, let's open your first project.
Opening a Project
You can open a project in three ways:
- From Menu: File > Open Folder and select your project
- Drag & Drop: Drag your project folder into Kiro
- Command Line: Run
kiro .
Opening the Kiro Panel
Click the Kiro ghost icon in the Activity Bar (the leftmost icon column) to open the Kiro panel.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Ghost Icon] Kiro │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ 💬 Chat │
│ 📋 Specs │
│ 🔧 Hooks │
│ 🔌 MCP │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Generating Steering Documents
The most important first step in Kiro is generating Steering documents.
Select "Generate Steering Docs" from the Kiro panel. Kiro will analyze your project and create three files in the .kiro/steering/ folder:
| File | Contents |
|---|---|
| product.md | Product purpose, users, and features |
| tech.md | Technologies, frameworks, and libraries |
| structure.md | Directory structure, naming conventions, architecture |
flowchart LR
A["Project\nFolder"] --> B["Kiro\nAnalysis"]
B --> C["product.md"]
B --> D["tech.md"]
B --> E["structure.md"]
subgraph Steering[".kiro/steering/"]
C
D
E
end
style A fill:#3b82f6,color:#fff
style Steering fill:#8b5cf6,color:#fff
With these files, Kiro understands your project's context and can provide more relevant suggestions and code generation.
Kiro's Interface
Kiro's interface is nearly identical to VS Code, with some additional features.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Menu Bar │
├────┬────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ A │ │
│ c │ Editor Area │
│ t │ │
│ i │ │
│ v ├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ i │ │
│ t │ Panel (Terminal, Output, etc.) │
│ y │ │
│ │ │
│ B ├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ a │ Kiro Chat Panel │
│ r │ │
│ │ │
└────┴────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Key Elements
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Activity Bar | Left icon column containing the Kiro ghost icon |
| Editor Area | Main code editing area |
| Panel | Terminal, output, problems display |
| Kiro Chat Panel | AI interaction, Specs, Hooks, MCP management |
Pricing Plans
Kiro exited public preview in October 2025 and introduced paid plans.
| Plan | Monthly | Agent Interactions |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 50/month |
| Pro | $19 | 1,000/month |
| Pro+ | $39 | 3,000/month |
Note: Pricing may change. Check kiro.dev for current information.
Summary
| Concept | Description |
|---|---|
| Kiro | Agentic IDE provided by AWS |
| Spec-Driven Development | Develop in order: requirements → design → tasks |
| Steering | Documents that tell AI about your project |
| Code OSS | Same foundation as VS Code, easy migration |
Key Points
- Kiro helps you "think before you build"
- Migration from VS Code is smooth
- Steering documents are the foundation for project understanding
- Try it free with the basic plan
Exercises
Exercise 1: Basics
Install Kiro and open an existing project (or create a new folder). Generate Steering documents and examine the three files (product.md, tech.md, structure.md).
Exercise 2: Applied
Review the generated Steering documents. Check if the project description is accurate. If anything is incorrect, try editing it manually.
Challenge
If migrating from VS Code to Kiro, investigate which settings and extensions transfer. Also consider: in what situations would Kiro-specific features (Specs, Hooks, MCP) be most useful?
References
Coming Up: In Day 2, we'll dive deep into "Steering Files" and learn how to teach Kiro your project's rules and conventions.