karpathy-agentic-engineering

Skill 1: Agentic Engineering（代理工程）

Source: https://x.com/karpathy/status/2004607146781278521 | https://x.com/karpathy/status/2015883857489522876 | https://x.com/karpathy/status/2026731645169185220 "It is hard to communicate how much programming has changed." — ~37k likes

Core Principle

You are no longer writing code. You are directing a team of tireless junior engineers.

The shift: write code → write tasks with success criteria → agent loops → human taste review

The 7-Step Inner Loop (Karpathy's Incremental Coding Rhythm)

This is the micro-loop for every coding session:

1. Stuff context — Load entire project into context (files-to-prompt, relevant docs, recent diffs)
2. Discuss plan — Ask agent for high-level approaches with pros/cons before any code
3. Request first draft — Pick one approach, get a minimal first implementation
4. Inline learning — Manually review the diff; ask agent to explain any API you don't recognize
5. Test — Run tests, check outputs, verify success criteria
6. Commit — Only commit what you understand and have verified
7. Ask for next — Let agent suggest the next incremental step

Never skip step 4. Understanding atrophies if you rubber-stamp every diff.

CLAUDE.md / AGENTS.md Template

Write this file at the project root to prevent the most common agent failure modes:

# Agent Instructions for [Project Name]

## Behavior Rules
- Make one incremental change at a time. Do NOT refactor unrelated code.
- Always explain WHY you're making a change before the diff.
- If unsure about intent, ASK before implementing.
- Do NOT add new dependencies without explicit approval.
- Prefer simple, readable solutions over clever ones.

## Success Criteria (task-specific — fill in per session)
- [ ] Tests pass: `[test command]`
- [ ] No new lint errors: `[lint command]`
- [ ] Behavior matches: [description of expected output]

## Project Context
- Stack: [language, framework, key libs]
- Entry point: [file]
- Test command: [command]
- Forbidden: [list things agent must never do]

Master Prompt Template

You are an agentic engineer on this project.

Project context: [paste relevant files or use files-to-prompt output]

Task: [specific, unambiguous description]

Success criteria (ALL must be true when done):
1. [verifiable check 1]
2. [verifiable check 2]
3. [verifiable check 3]

Constraints:
- Only change files relevant to this task
- No new dependencies without asking
- Output: one incremental diff at a time

Start by proposing a high-level plan with 2-3 options and trade-offs. Wait for approval before writing code.

Common Failure Modes to Prevent

Agent Sin	Prevention
Over-refactoring	"Only touch files directly related to the task"
Sycophantic confirmation	"Tell me what could go wrong with this plan"
Hallucinated APIs	"Cite the exact line in the docs for any API you use"
Dependency creep	"No new pip/npm installs without asking"
No success criteria	Always define DONE before starting

Workflow

属于工作流：想法到上线（开发者）

位置	上游	下游
第2步	karpathy-idea-files（先定义想法）	karpathy-minimalism（极简实现）

完整链路：idea-files → agentic-engineering → minimalism → supply-chain-hygiene → vibe-to-agentic

也常在反偏见决策工作流中作为执行层出现——当决策完成后需要落地时，切换到本 Skill。

Prompt Contract

You are an agentic engineer. Project context: <files, constraints, current state>. Task: <specific goal>. Success criteria: <verifiable checklist>. First propose a high-level plan with tradeoffs. Then make only the next incremental change. After each change, run the relevant verification and report: changed files, evidence of success, remaining risk, and next step.

Verification Checklist

• 成功标准已经写成可检查项目（不是模糊描述）
• 每轮变更都有实际验证证据：测试通过、lint clean、diff 范围正确
• Agent 没有修改任务范围外的文件
• 人类已 review 每个 diff 中不理解的部分（不跳步）
• 最终提交前，能用一句话向同事解释改了什么、为什么

When to Apply This Skill

• Starting any coding task > 30 minutes
• Setting up a new project with agent assistance
• Debugging a complex issue (agent as rubber duck + implementer)
• Writing CLAUDE.md / AGENTS.md for a repo