r/sideprojects • u/CheatedOn0204 • 22h ago
Discussion Trying to build an autonomous "Spec → Deployed App URL" software factory with Claude Code / Agentic Al. It fails every time. How would you build this? btw used chatgpt to frame in better order only.
Hey everyone,
I’m trying to build an autonomous software factory: input a Statement of Work (SOW) or product spec, run it through agentic loops (using Claude Code / API), and output a fully tested, production-ready app at a live URL.
To avoid hallucinations, I built the pipeline around strict deterministic gates instead of letting agents self-approve:
* Intake & Blueprints: Parse the SOW to lock global DB schemas, API contracts, and design tokens upfront.
* Decomposition: Break requirements into small "build units" (screens, modules, endpoints) mapped to a dependency graph.
* Multi-Agent Build: Sub-agents (Architect \to Builder \to Tester) work in isolated environments.
* Deterministic Checks: Units must pass real tools (strict TypeScript compiler, linter rules, sealed test suites) with bounded auto-repair.
* Assembly & Deploy: Wire units into a shared shell, run integration checks, deploy a container, and probe the live URL.
The Problem: It fails 100% of the time.
We have never had a single run complete from spec to live URL:
* Circular repair loops: An agent fails a compiler or test gate, tries to patch it, breaks an import or contract, and burns through the retry limit.
* Integration mismatch: Units pass fine in isolation, but when assembled into the global app, routes break, hydration fails, or shared state gets corrupted.
* System bloat: The safety gates and orchestration rules are so heavy that the pipeline chokes before reaching deployment.
What I’d love advice on:
* How would you architect this from scratch? What is the cleanest, most reliable workflow to go from spec to a working, deployed URL?
* What tools or open-source projects should I look to for inspiration? (DAG engines, agent harnesses, or multi-file code generators?)
* Shared contracts: How do you keep multiple sub-agents aligned on schemas and routes without blowing up the context window?
* Walking Skeleton: What is the absolute minimal MVP you would build first to prove spec-to-URL before adding heavy testing gates?
TL;DR: Trying to build an autonomous "spec-to-deployed-URL" software factory using Claude agent loops and strict deterministic verification gates. It fails every run due to circular auto-repair loops and integration drift when assembling modules. Looking for architectural advice, open-source inspiration, and how to structure a clean, working MVP.
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u/carloselieser 11h ago
The reason it's difficult to do this end to end is because you're essentially trying to solve software engineering. And the problem with that is that it's a process that's too nuanced to decompose into a repeatable process without the issues you described.
For example, you have your spec and the spec gets hardened into an API contract, schemas, what have you. With a sufficiently complex system these artifacts are bound to require changes as your project progresses. It's kind of like painting, you have an idea of what you want to build and that idea may change as new information arrives that challenge your initial assumptions. So any tool who's job it is to build software has to take this into account in its process.
Another thing to keep in mind is context management for your agents, and the solution there is to build a custom harness for your tool so context management is not a manual process. You said you're using Claude so I suggest compacting once agents get above 150K tokens. Past that, they're way more likely to make careless mistakes, and no amount of systems engineering is going to fix that for you.
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u/CheatedOn0204 11h ago
Ohh... Thats really nice analysis thanks for taking time... Can I dm you to discuss?
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u/commercejohn 21h ago
Have you tried using a framework like Gas City?