[moflome]

I think in this case, the parent meant working speculatively [0] which can be seen as risky for some, but also a way to get some reputation & awareness.

[0] http://www.nospec.com/what-is-spec

[vram22]

Thanks. Yes, I think this is what the original comment meant that I was asking about. Now I remember where I read the term "spec work" - it was some weeks ago on avc.com, Fred Wilson's blog. And someone gave the same answer there as you, IIRC.

[qohen]

It's not specifically a tech term, e.g. spec scripts in the entertainment business:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spec_script