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Greenfield

← All terms · Concepts and methodology

A software project built from scratch with no existing codebase, dependencies, or legacy constraints.

What it is

Greenfield development starts from a blank slate. Because there is no existing architecture to preserve, teams and AI coding agents can choose the structure, conventions, and implementation approach freely. That freedom is useful for speed and experimentation, but it also means you must create the initial patterns yourself instead of extending an established system. Contrast with brownfield work, where changes must fit into an existing codebase and its constraints. Most Orbit onboarding projects start as greenfield.

When you would use it

You use the term greenfield when discussing brand-new projects that do not need to preserve backwards compatibility, existing data models, or historical implementation patterns.

Common operations

  • Starting a new internal tool or prototype from nothing.
  • Letting an AI coding agent scaffold an app before any legacy code exists.

Related terms

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Where this is taught

No learning path uses this term yet. Browse the Learning Atlas for guided sequences through related ideas.