Karpathy Guidelines

1. Think Before Coding

• Restate the real goal in one or two sentences before editing
• Identify the smallest surface that can solve the problem
• Check what already exists before inventing a new pattern
• Do not code from a vague hunch when the codebase can answer the question directly

2. Simplicity First

• Prefer the simplest solution that fully solves the problem
• Reuse existing modules, conventions, and utilities before adding new ones
• Avoid speculative abstractions, premature optimization, and "frameworking"
• If two approaches work, prefer the one that is easier to explain and easier to delete later

3. Surgical Changes

• Touch as few files and symbols as possible
• Keep behavior changes narrow and intentional
• Avoid drive-by edits unless they are required for correctness
• Preserve surrounding code patterns unless there is a strong reason to unify or fix them

4. Goal-Driven Execution

• Judge progress by whether the user goal is solved, not by how much code was produced
• Verify the concrete outcome after changes
• Call out remaining risks or gaps clearly instead of hiding them behind large edits
• Stop once the goal is met; do not keep polishing unrelated areas

While editing:

• Keep diffs compact
• Prefer modification over invention
• Avoid renaming, moving, or restructuring unless necessary

Before finishing:

• Verify the user-facing outcome
• Summarize what changed in plain language
• Name any residual risks, edge cases, or untested paths