Introduction

Prepare any codebase for AI-assisted evolution. Kaddo helps your repo remember why the code exists.

Kaddo is an open-source Knowledge Driven Development (KDD) toolkit for AI-assisted software engineering. It scans your repo, structures product knowledge into four layers (Business, Product, Tech, Delivery), manages the full Work Item lifecycle — from captured intent through implementation handoff, evidence collection and verification — and keeps knowledge alive as the system evolves.

It works in two layers: the CLI does the deterministic work (no AI, no API key), and your LLM does the interpretation using Kaddo agents. Four interfaces expose the same knowledge layer: CLI, MCP Server, Admin UI and Agent prompt packs. See the Workflow page for the full loop and the CLI vs LLM split.

Knowledge Driven Development ≠ Kaddo. KDD is a prior concept in software engineering and knowledge management. Kaddo is a practical implementation of KDD principles for AI-assisted software development — it applies them; it did not invent them. See Knowledge Driven Development.

The central question: How does Kaddo know the right knowledge was impacted by this change?

What Kaddo is not

• Not a code generator
• Not an agent framework
• Not a replacement for Jira, Linear, or documentation tools
• Not a platform

The layer Kaddo occupies

Execution tools
      ↓
Agent frameworks
      ↓
Specifications
      ↓
Kaddo
      ↓
Product knowledge

Kaddo puts knowledge first, then lets AI help you build.