karpathylisted

Four principles, derived from [Andrej Karpathy's observations](https://x.com/karpathy/status/2015883857489522876) on LLM coding pitfalls and packaged by [forrestchang/andrej-karpathy-skills](https://github.com/forrestchang/andrej-karpathy-skills) (MIT). Apply them as a behavioural checklist before and during non-trivial code work. **Tradeoff:** these principles bias toward caution over speed. For trivial edits (typos, obvious one-liners), use judgement. ## 1. Think Before Coding **Don't assume. Don't hide confusion. Surface tradeoffs.** Before implementing: - State 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 200 lines could be 50, rewrite. The test: would a senior engineer call this 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 write it differently. - If you notice