Specifications Are the New API Between Product and Engineering

"The EARS format (Easy Approach to Requirements Syntax) turns natural language requirements into structured, testable statements."

Yes, that's called "programming", as Dijkstra explained https://www.cs.utexas.edu/~EWD/transcriptions/EWD06xx/EWD667...

Bob Slydell: So, what you do at Initech is you take the specifications from the customer and bring them down to the software engineers?

Tom Smykowski: Yes, yes that's right.

Bob Porter: Well then I just have to ask why can't the customers take them directly to the software people?

Smykowski: Well, I'll tell you why, because, engineers are not good at dealing with customers.

Slydell: So you physically take the specs from the customer?

Smykowski: Well... No. My secretary does that, or they're faxed.

Porter: So then you must physically bring them to the software people?

Smykowski: Well. No-- Ah sometimes!

Slydell: What would you say you do here...?

Smykowski: (shouting) Engineers are not good with people! I'm a people person!