The Polarizing Popularity of Garry Tan’s Claude Code Setup

Y Combinator’s renowned CEO Garry Tan recently revealed at a SXSW event that he is experiencing “cyber psychosis” due to his immense excitement about working with AI agents, leading to him getting only four hours of sleep a night. During an interview with fellow VC Bill Gurley, Tan joked about his AI obsession, suggesting that many CEOs may also be experiencing similar feelings of “cyber psychosis.” However, it’s important to note that AI-induced psychosis can be a serious condition.

Tan described his current state as being fueled by his work with AI agents, leading to a lack of sleep and a high level of excitement. He mentioned that working with AI has allowed him to recreate the success of his previous startup with significantly less resources and time investment. Tan’s enthusiasm for AI led him to share his Claude Code setup, named gstack, on GitHub under an open source license.

The gstack setup includes a variety of skills developed by Tan, allowing users to implement prompts for specific roles or tasks within the AI. Tan has continued to add more skills to the gstack repository, with each new addition generating significant interest and engagement from the tech community.

Despite the positive reception to gstack, Tan faced some criticism after claiming that the setup had identified a security flaw in a company’s code. Some individuals questioned the validity of Tan’s claims, with one founder suggesting that the situation warranted further investigation.

Experts have weighed in on gstack, with Claude praising the system as a mature and opinionated approach to working with AI. Other AI models, such as ChatGPT and Gemini, also expressed positive views on gstack, highlighting its sophisticated prompt workflows and emphasis on correctness in coding.

Overall, gstack has garnered attention for its innovative approach to utilizing AI in coding workflows. Tan’s passion for coding with AI shines through in his dedication to developing and sharing gstack, showcasing the power of collaboration between humans and AI in the tech industry.