multica-ai/andrej-karpathy-skills

Install

This installs the guidelines as a Claude Code plugin, making the skill available across all your projects.

/plugin marketplace add forrestchang/andrej-karpathy-skills

The Solution

Four principles in one file that directly address these issues:

• Think Before Coding — Wrong assumptions, hidden confusion, missing tradeoffs
• Simplicity First — Overcomplication, bloated abstractions
• Surgical Changes — Orthogonal edits, touching code you shouldn't
• Goal-Driven Execution — Leverage through tests-first, verifiable success criteria

1. Think Before Coding

LLMs often pick an interpretation silently and run with it. This principle forces explicit reasoning:

• State assumptions explicitly — If uncertain, ask rather than guess
• Present multiple interpretations — Don't pick silently when ambiguity exists
• Push back when warranted — If a simpler approach exists, say so
• Stop when confused — Name what's unclear and ask for clarification

2. Simplicity First

The test: Would a senior engineer say this is overcomplicated? If yes, simplify.

• No features beyond what was asked
• No abstractions for single-use code
• No "flexibility" or "configurability" that wasn't requested
• No error handling for impossible scenarios
• If 200 lines could be 50, rewrite it