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Karpathy Guidelines

Code quality

Andrej Karpathy's coding principles as a skill: think first, stay simple, change surgically.

by forrestchang (principles by Andrej Karpathy)forrestchang/andrej-karpathy-skills
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Last push6 months ago

Install

install

$ /plugin marketplace add forrestchang/andrej-karpathy-skills

Update

update

$ /plugin marketplace update andrej-karpathy-skills

Then run /reload-plugins. Official marketplaces auto-update at startup.

When to use it

  • Every project: paste the principles into CLAUDE.md as standing rules
  • When generated code keeps growing speculative abstractions and unrequested features
  • Reviewing diffs that touched more than they needed to

Commands & flags

/karpathy-guidelines
Invoke the skill to apply the four principles to current work.
Add to CLAUDE.md
Paste the four principles as standing project rules for automatic application.
Think before coding
State assumptions, surface tradeoffs, push back on complexity.
Simplicity first
Write the minimum code that solves the problem, nothing speculative.
Surgical changes
Touch only what you must; clean up only your own mess.
Goal-driven execution
Define success criteria and loop until verified.

How to use it

Works best as standing guidance rather than an invoked skill. The four principles:

  1. Think before coding: state assumptions, surface tradeoffs, push back on complexity
  2. Simplicity first: minimum code that solves the problem, nothing speculative
  3. Surgical changes: touch only what you must, clean up only your own mess
  4. Goal-driven execution: define success criteria, loop until verified

Add to a project's CLAUDE.md or install the plugin for automatic application.

Why it earns its place

Four short rules that counteract the most common LLM coding failures: over-engineering, scope creep, drive-by refactors, and declaring victory without verification. Cheap to adopt, immediately visible in diff quality.

Try it

claude

> Apply the Karpathy principles when refactoring this module