DeadStack

Inspiration

Legacy software can be found everywhere. Important applications often rely on frameworks, abandoned libraries, outdated APIs and structures that are hard to keep up.

We wanted to ask a question:

What if an AI agent could give old software a second life?

That question turned into DeadStack. An AI-powered software resurrection tool that examines legacy codebases spots what has become obsolete creates a modernization plan performs upgrades and checks the result.

What it does

DeadStack turns a legacy into a clear modernization workflow:

Analyze the codebase
Spot outdated dependencies, APIs and patterns
Rebuild the project structure and risks
Produce a step-by-step modernization plan
Carry out modernization tasks with AI agents
Run tests. Check the results
Create a before-and-after modernization report

DeadStack does not simply create code. DeadStack aims to make the process of understanding and modernizing a legacy codebase more organized.

How we built it

DeadStack is being built with Kiro as the development environment.

We use Kiros spec-driven workflow to split the product into requirements, design choices and implementation tasks. We also use Kiros AI-assisted tools to refine the application and keep the project organized as it expands.

The design mixes a web application, with AI-powered code analysis and modernization workflows.

Challenges

One challenge is that legacy codebases are rarely tidy or consistent. Different versions, dependencies, conventions and structures can exist in the project.

Another challenge is ensuring AI-generated modernization is safe and verifiable. A successful modernization must not produce newer-looking code; it must keep the original applications intended behavior.

What we learned

Building DeadStack taught us that AI coding works when paired with a structured development process.

Of asking an AI agent to "rewrite this application " we can split a complex modernization problem into smaller visible steps that have clear requirements, plans, implementation tasks and checks.

Whats next

We want DeadStack to grow from a modernization helper into a software-resurrection platform that can handle more complex legacy applications and offer stronger automated checks.