A developer who couldn't figure out how to request a feature in existing AI coding tools decided to build their own instead. The result is Modo, an open-source AI IDE that takes a different approach than most. Rather than jumping straight from prompt to code like Cursor 3 or Windsurf, Modo walks through requirements, design, and tasks first. Each spec lives as markdown files in your project under .modo/specs/, so you can close the IDE and pick up where you left off.
Built on top of Void (itself a VS Code fork), Modo adds some genuinely useful features. Steering files let you define project rules once and have them injected into every AI interaction. Agent hooks can trigger actions when files change or tools run. There's a toggle between autopilot and supervised modes, parallel chat sessions for juggling multiple tasks, and installable "Powers" that bundle documentation and configs for specific technologies like TypeScript or React.
The creator claims they reached 60-70% of commercial tool functionality in a short building stretch. Feature parity isn't the goal here. Modo's real appeal is transparency. Everything lives as plain files in .modo/ directories. Specs, hooks, steering files, settings. You can inspect them, edit them, version control them. No proprietary lock-in, no hidden databases. For developers who've wanted an AI coding assistant that doesn't feel like a black box, Modo is worth a look.