Agent skill · software engineering · alirezarezvani
karpathy-coder
Check a diff for overbuilt code: hidden assumptions, needless abstraction, non-surgical changes, unverified goals (Karpathy's four principles). Load whenever the user thinks they overcomplicated something or wants a pre-commit check.
Why this skill is useful
Adds 4 executable Python scripts for code quality checks and a pre-commit hook that enforce specific coding principles not commonly known.
What it needs
Requires python installed locally. About 3k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-05. 23,939 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
Karpathy Coder — Active Coding Discipline Derived from Andrej Karpathy's observations on LLM coding pitfalls. This is not just guidelines — it ships Python tools that detect violations, a review agent, a slash command, and a pre-commit hook. "The models make wrong assumptions on your behalf and just run along with them without checking. They don't manage their confusion, don't seek clarifications, don't surface inconsistencies, don't present tradeoffs, don't push back when they should." "They really like to overcomplicate code and APIs, bloat abstractions, don't clean up dead code... implement a bloated construction over 1000 lines when 100 would do." "LLMs are exceptionally good at looping until they meet specific goals... Don't tell it what to do, give it success criteria and watch it go." — Andrej Karpathy The four principles 1. Think Before Coding Don't assume. Don't hide confusion. Surface tradeoffs. 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 you write 200 lines and it could be 50, rewrite it. The test: 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. 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. Remove imports/variables/functions that YOUR changes made unused. Don't remove pre-existing dead code unless asked. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills alirezarezvani/karpathy-coder--49edfa