# The Factory Model

> Developer builds the system that builds code.

- **Category**: Agentic AI
- **Subcategory**: SDLC
- **Canonical URL**: https://designpattern.fyi/patterns/factory_model/

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## Description
**Problem**: Treating the developer primarily as an implementor bottlenecks the delivery process when AI can generate code much faster than human typing speed.
**Solution**: Shift the developer's role to a system designer who builds the "factory" that produces software. The developer defines specifications, tests, and guardrails, while the AI agents autonomously execute implementation within this constrained environment.
**Source**: Osmani, A., Saboo, S., & Kartakis, S. (May 2026). *The New SDLC With Vibe Coding*. Google.



## Use Cases
- Large-scale refactoring or framework migrations.
- Well-specified feature implementations.
- Systematic generation of test suites and boilerplate.






## Trade-offs


### Advantages

- Drastically lowers the marginal cost of producing and maintaining features.




### Considerations & Drawbacks

- Demands higher upfront investment in testing and validation pipelines.

- Bad fit for designing core architectural trade-offs that demand human business context.

- Unsuitable for novel, highly ambiguous problem spaces lacking clear correctness criteria.







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**Reference**: [Original Source](https://www.kaggle.com/whitepaper-the-new-SDLC-with-vibe-coding)