Braindb Agent
dimknaf/braindb
Persistent memory across sessions via the BrainDB agent. An agent skill from dimknaf/braindb.
“Apply Andrej Karpathy AI methodology and principles from his 2023-2026 insights. Use this skill when the user wants to apply Karpathy-style thinking, needs guidance on agentic…”
Install Karpathy Methodology Index
$ npx skills add LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills --skill karpathy-methodology -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills karpathy-methodology --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/karpathy-methodology .claude/skills/karpathy-methodology && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.
Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/
Install the "karpathy-methodology" agent skill from https://github.com/LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills/tree/main/karpathy-methodology into .claude/skills/karpathy-methodology/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "karpathy-methodology", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills/tree/main/karpathy-methodologyType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills --skill karpathy-methodology -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills karpathy-methodology --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/karpathy-methodology .agents/skills/karpathy-methodology && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "karpathy-methodology" agent skill from https://github.com/LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills/tree/main/karpathy-methodology into .agents/skills/karpathy-methodology/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "karpathy-methodology", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills --skill karpathy-methodology -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills karpathy-methodology --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/karpathy-methodology .cursor/skills/karpathy-methodology && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "karpathy-methodology" agent skill from https://github.com/LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills/tree/main/karpathy-methodology into .cursor/skills/karpathy-methodology/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "karpathy-methodology", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills.git --path karpathy-methodology--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills --skill karpathy-methodology -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills karpathy-methodology --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/karpathy-methodology .gemini/skills/karpathy-methodology && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "karpathy-methodology" agent skill from https://github.com/LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills/tree/main/karpathy-methodology into .gemini/skills/karpathy-methodology/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "karpathy-methodology", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills karpathy-methodologyInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills --skill karpathy-methodology -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/karpathy-methodology .github/skills/karpathy-methodology && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "karpathy-methodology" agent skill from https://github.com/LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills/tree/main/karpathy-methodology into .github/skills/karpathy-methodology/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "karpathy-methodology", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills --skill karpathy-methodology -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills karpathy-methodology --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/karpathy-methodology .opencode/skills/karpathy-methodology && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "karpathy-methodology" agent skill from https://github.com/LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills/tree/main/karpathy-methodology into .opencode/skills/karpathy-methodology/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "karpathy-methodology", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
karpathy-methodology- GitHub stars
- 110
- Token cost
- ~1.5k tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 491 words
- Files
- 2 (incl. references)
- Skills in repo
- 15
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- MIT
At a glance
- Works in 2 steps: Apply the specific sub-methodology… → Guide the user to the right one from the…
- SKILL.md covers The 14 Methodologies, Meta-Principle (the one that…, How to Apply This Skill and Master Prompt Template, plus 1 more section
- Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
About this skill
“Apply Andrej Karpathy AI methodology and principles from his 2023-2026 insights. Use this skill when the user wants to apply Karpathy-style thinking, needs guidance on agentic engineering, LLM knowledge bases, minimalist coding, understanding-first principles, or any of the 14 core methodologies distilled from his work. Also triggers on: "karpathy method", "karpathy approach", "karpathy way", "AK style", "like karpathy does", "karpathy principles", or when user asks how Karpathy would approach any programming or AI problem.”
Karpathy Methodology Index is a skill in LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills (110 stars). Its SKILL.md is about 1.5k tokens, with 1 other file in the folder (references). Licence: MIT.
Workflow steps
2 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.
- Apply the specific sub-methodology relevant to the user's current task, or
- Guide the user to the right one from the 14 below.
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 9e46dec. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
Links to these hosts (documentation or services it may open):
x.comgist.github.com
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.
Context cost
Karpathy Methodology Index loads about 1.5k tokens when it runs, and up to ~2.2k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 138 tokens; SKILL.md has 491 words of instructions outside code blocks.
Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.
Safety
Auto-check passed
The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.
Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.
SKILL.md
The full file from LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills at commit 9e46dec, republished under its MIT licence (© LearnPrompt). 491 words, ~1,459 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/karpathy-methodology/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.- name
- karpathy-methodology
- description
- Apply Andrej Karpathy AI methodology and principles from his 2023-2026 insights. Use this skill when the user wants to apply Karpathy-style thinking, needs guidance on agentic engineering, LLM knowledge bases, minimalist coding, understanding-first principles, or any of the 14 core methodologies distilled from his work. Also triggers on: "karpathy method", "karpathy approach", "karpathy way", "AK style", "like karpathy does", "karpathy principles", or when user asks how Karpathy would approach any programming or AI problem.
- disable-model-invocation
- false
- user-invocable
- true
- related_skills
- karpathy-agentic-engineering, karpathy-llm-simulator, karpathy-llm-wiki, karpathy-autoresearch, karpathy-meta-reflection
Karpathy Methodology — 14 Core Skills
Distilled from Andrej Karpathy's most-liked posts on X (2023–2026), his LLM Wiki Gist, and the multica-ai/andrej-karpathy-skills repo. Source: https://x.com/karpathy | https://gist.github.com/karpathy/442a6bf555914893e9891c11519de94f
This skill is the master index. When invoked, either:
- Apply the specific sub-methodology relevant to the user's current task, or
- Guide the user to the right one from the 14 below.
The 14 Methodologies
| # | Skill Name | One-line Essence |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | karpathy-agentic-engineering | Orchestrate agents with clear tasks and verifiable success criteria |
| 2 | karpathy-llm-wiki | Let LLM maintain your knowledge base; you do the exploring |
| 3 | karpathy-llm-simulator | Ask LLM to simulate expert debate, not give one opinion |
| 4 | karpathy-minimalism | 200 lines of pure Python beats 50 npm packages |
| 5 | karpathy-vibe-to-agentic | Vibe coding raises the floor; agentic engineering raises the ceiling |
| 6 | karpathy-autoresearch | Agent loops on git branches; you only change the prompt |
| 7 | karpathy-output-evolution | Text → Markdown → HTML → rendered; always demand structure |
| 8 | karpathy-understanding-first | Outsource thinking, never understanding |
| 9 | karpathy-idea-files | Ship the Gist (abstract + criteria), not the code |
| 10 | karpathy-meta-reflection | Monthly audit: what's atrophying, what's exploding |
| 11 | karpathy-supply-chain-hygiene | Every dependency is an attack surface |
| 12 | karpathy-education-first | Make everything teachable; nano-projects over monoliths |
| 13 | karpathy-system-prompt-learning | Write strategy into the system prompt like a textbook |
| 14 | karpathy-practice-environments | Build gyms where agents can try, fail, and learn |
Meta-Principle (the one that unifies all 14)
"You can outsource your thinking but you cannot outsource your understanding." — Karpathy, ~46k likes, 2026
Use AI to go faster. Use your brain to know if you're going in the right direction.
How to Apply This Skill
Show full SKILL.md (241 more words)Show less
Quick Decision Tree
"I need to build/code something" → Start with #1 Agentic Engineering (clear task + success criteria), layer in #4 Minimalism (avoid bloat), finish with #8 Understanding First (verify what was built).
"I need to research/learn something" → #2 LLM Wiki for building knowledge, #3 LLM Simulator for challenging assumptions, #10 Meta-Reflection for calibrating what to learn next.
"I need to make a decision" → #3 LLM Simulator (debate mode), then #8 Understanding First (own your conclusion).
"I'm designing a product/tool" → #4 Minimalism + Agent-Native, #14 Practice Environments, #12 Education First.
"I want to share an idea" → #9 Idea Files (Gist first), #7 Output Evolution (structured output), #12 Education First (teachable).
"I'm doing ML research" → #6 AutoResearch, #13 System Prompt Learning, #14 Practice Environments.
Master Prompt Template
When the user hasn't specified a sub-methodology, use this all-in-one Karpathy-style framing:
You are operating under the Karpathy Methodology.
Core constraints:
1. UNDERSTAND before outsourcing — never ship what you can't explain
2. MINIMIZE dependencies — prefer 200-line pure implementations
3. AGENT-NATIVE outputs — CLI-friendly, markdown-structured, LLM-legible
4. VERIFIABLE goals — every task must have a testable success criterion
5. TEACH as you build — outputs should be understandable by a curious beginner
Task: [USER_TASK]
Success criteria: [WHAT_DONE_LOOKS_LIKE]
Constraints: [TECH_STACK, SIZE_LIMIT, NO_LIBS]Source Posts (Top by Likes)
- 145k likes — Joins Anthropic: https://x.com/karpathy/status/2056753169888334312
- 59k likes — LLM Knowledge Bases: https://x.com/karpathy/status/2039805659525644595
- 56k likes — "Never felt this behind as a programmer": https://x.com/karpathy/status/2004607146781278521
- 46k likes — "Outsource thinking not understanding": https://x.com/karpathy/status/2049907410303865030
- 40k likes — Claude coding notes: https://x.com/karpathy/status/2015883857489522876
- 37k likes — Programming phase shift: https://x.com/karpathy/status/2026731645169185220
- 31k likes — LLM argue the opposite: https://x.com/karpathy/status/2037921699824607591
- 28k likes — AutoResearch project: https://x.com/karpathy/status/2030371219518931079
- 28k likes — litellm supply chain attack: https://x.com/karpathy/status/2036487306585268612
- 25k likes — 243 lines pure Python GPT: https://x.com/karpathy/status/2021694437152157847
- 22k likes — Agent network discussion: https://x.com/karpathy/status/2017442712388309406
- 19k likes — HTML output + I/O evolution: https://x.com/karpathy/status/2053872850101285137
- 27k likes — LLM Wiki Gist version: https://x.com/karpathy/status/2040470801506541998
© LearnPrompt, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file
Files
SKILL.md and 1 other file (references) in karpathy-methodology of LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills.
- SKILL.md
- references/index.md
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 9e46dec
Compare with similar skills
Karpathy Methodology Index next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karpathy Methodology Index this skillLearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills | 110 | — | ~1.5k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Braindb Agentdimknaf/braindb | 111 | — | ~3.2k | Automated safety check: Notes | Apache-2.0 | |
| Bleudavila7/claude-code-templates | 32k | — | ~8.9k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Visualize Planyonatangross/orchestkit | 290 | — | ~6.2k | Automated safety check: Notes | MIT | |
| Executing Plans Inlineobra/superpowers | 297k | 2 repos | ~5.1k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Interview Meaddyosmani/agent-skills | 103k | 6 repos | ~3.8k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT |
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Apply Karpathy-style agentic engineering to any coding or building task.
AutoResearch Loop
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Sets up an autonomous research loop where an agent runs experiments on git branches, logs results and proposes the next iteration while you approve each hypothesis change.
Karpathy Education First
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Apply the education-first mindset — make everything you build teachable, create nano-project explanations, write for beginners.
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Create and share ideas as abstract Gist-style specs instead of code — letting agents or others implement.
Karpathy LLM Simulator
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Use LLM as a simulator of expert debates and opposing viewpoints instead of getting a single sycophantic answer.
Karpathy LLM Wiki
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Build and maintain an LLM-powered personal knowledge base or wiki.
Related
Categories
Questions about Karpathy Methodology Index
How do I install Karpathy Methodology Index in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills --skill karpathy-methodology -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (karpathy-methodology in LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills) into .claude/skills/karpathy-methodology in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Karpathy Methodology Index in Codex?
Run `npx skills add LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills --skill karpathy-methodology -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (karpathy-methodology in LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills) into .agents/skills/karpathy-methodology in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Karpathy Methodology Index in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?
Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills --skill karpathy-methodology -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/karpathy-methodology, .gemini/skills/karpathy-methodology, .github/skills/karpathy-methodology and .opencode/skills/karpathy-methodology in your project.
What does Karpathy Methodology Index need to run?
SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Karpathy Methodology Index is instructions for the agent only.
Does Karpathy Methodology Index access the network?
SKILL.md names 2 domains. As links in the text: x.com and gist.github.com. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is Karpathy Methodology Index safe to install?
Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.
What licence does Karpathy Methodology Index use?
Karpathy Methodology Index is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.
How many tokens does Karpathy Methodology Index use?
About 1.5k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 5.8k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 696 tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.
What are the alternatives to Karpathy Methodology Index?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Karpathy Methodology Index: Braindb Agent (dimknaf/braindb, 111 stars), Bleu (davila7/claude-code-templates, 32k stars), Visualize Plan (yonatangross/orchestkit, 290 stars) and Executing Plans Inline (obra/superpowers, 297k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Karpathy Methodology Index?
LearnPrompt (a GitHub user) maintains it in LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills, which has 110 GitHub stars. The repository holds 15 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on July 10, 2026.
Source: LearnPrompt/andrej-karpathy-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.