karpathy-principleslisted

# Karpathy Coding Principles 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. ## When to Apply - **Classification**: quick-win, feature, architecture-change, hotfix - **Phase**: /plan (assumption surfacing), /implement (simplicity + surgical), /review (scope audit) - **Trigger**: All non-trivial coding tasks — this is a behavioral baseline, not a domain skill ## 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. Self-check: "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 refac