# Intent
In Decapod, **Intent** is the primary driver of the development lifecycle. It is the human-originated "Why" that must be preserved and formalized before implementation begins.
## The Spec-First Mandate
Agents often dive into implementation before fully understanding the human operator's goal. Decapod prevents this by mandating a spec-first approach:
1. **Capture:** Vague requests are converted into explicit tasks via `decapod todo add` (see [CLI Reference](../reference/cli.md#task-tracking)).
2. **Formalize:** Agents are required to update or verify the `specs/INTENT.md` document scaffolded in the repository (see [Artifacts Reference](../reference/artifacts.md)).
3. **Validate:** The final implementation is checked against this intent. If the outcome deviates from the recorded intent, validation fails (see [Proof & Validation](proof.md)).
## Intent Pressure
"Intent Pressure" occurs when an agent encounters ambiguity. Decapod's philosophy is that **uncertainty must be preserved, not compressed**. If an agent is 70% sure of a requirement, it must not guess the remaining 30%. Instead, it should record the ambiguity in the task's metadata or `INTENT.md` and request human clarification.
## Versioned Specifications
Because Decapod is repo-native, your specifications are versioned alongside your code. This creates a permanent, auditable link between a feature's requirements and its implementation, which is invaluable for long-term maintenance and multi-agent handover.