Self-Play for LLMs, AI for Biology, Formal Verification, and More | YC Paper Club
Y Combinator
Jun 12, 2026
Luke Orthwine argues that modern software engineering should shift from linear, thoughtful planning to an agentic, high-parallelism approach modeled after Real-Time Strategy (RTS) games. By maximizing 'Actions Per Minute' (APM) through autonomous agents and prioritizing rapid iteration over perfection, teams can significantly increase output and velocity.
Key insight: Luke Orthwine maps his terminal sessions to specific Warcraft/Starcraft unit sounds, using audio cues as mnemonic devices to monitor multiple autonomous coding agents simultaneously.
