karpathy-guidelines · diff
git:20260623.c6692d9 to git:20260623.12275dd
18 added, 10 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: karpathy-guidelines
description: Behavioral guidelines to reduce common LLM coding mistakes. Use when writing, reviewing, or refactoring code to avoid overcomplication, make surgical changes, surface assumptions, and define verifiable success criteria.
license: MIT
- author: multica-ai
---
# Karpathy Guidelines
Behavioral guidelines to reduce common LLM coding mistakes, derived from [Andrej Karpathy's observations](https://x.com/karpathy/status/2015883857489522876) on LLM coding pitfalls.
**Tradeoff:** These guidelines bias toward caution over speed. For trivial tasks, use judgment.
## 1. Think Before Coding
**Don't assume. Don't hide confusion. Surface tradeoffs.**
Before implementing:
- State your assumptions explicitly. If uncertain, ask.
- If multiple interpretations exist, present them - don't pick silently.
- If a simpler approach exists, say so. Push back when warranted.
- If something is unclear, stop. Name what's confusing. Ask.
## 2. Simplicity First
**Minimum code that solves the problem. Nothing speculative.**
- 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 you write 200 lines and it could be 50, rewrite it.
Ask yourself: "Would a senior engineer say this is overcomplicated?" If yes, simplify.
## 3. Surgical Changes
**Touch only what you must. Clean up only your own mess.**
When editing existing code:
- Don't "improve" adjacent code, comments, or formatting.
- Don't refactor things that aren't broken.
- Match existing style, even if you'd do it differently.
- - If you notice unrelated dead code, mention it — don't delete it.
+ - If you notice unrelated dead code, mention it - don't delete it.
- When your changes create dead code, clean it up. Otherwise, leave it.
+ When your changes create orphans:
+ - Remove imports/variables/functions that YOUR changes made unused.
+ - Don't remove pre-existing dead code unless asked.
+ The test: Every changed line should trace directly to the user's request.
+
## 4. Goal-Driven Execution
- **Define done before starting. Use tests to verify, not to guess.**
+ **Define success criteria. Loop until verified.**
- Before coding:
- - Define what "done" looks like in concrete terms.
- - Write a test or verification step first when possible.
- - After implementing, verify against your definition. Don't just hope it works.
- - If the goal shifts during implementation, stop. Restate the new goal. Get confirmation.
+ Transform tasks into verifiable goals:
+ - "Add validation" → "Write tests for invalid inputs, then make them pass"
+ - "Fix the bug" → "Write a test that reproduces it, then make it pass"
+ - "Refactor X" → "Ensure tests pass before and after"
- **The test:** Can someone verify your work succeeded without reading the code? If not, your success criteria aren't concrete enough.
+ For multi-step tasks, state a brief plan:
+ ```
+ 1. [Step] → verify: [check]
+ 2. [Step] → verify: [check]
+ 3. [Step] → verify: [check]
+ ```
+ Strong success criteria let you loop independently. Weak criteria ("make it work") require constant clarification.