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

Workflow

属于工作流：想法到上线（开发者）

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