def create_repo(
 working_branch: str,
 repo_name: str,
 repo_url: str,
)
 # repo_name = myorganisation/my-repo
 # repo_url turns repo_name into a GitHub SSH URL
 # working_branch is what it sounds like. Note that the default branch for my organisation is named "main"
 
 subprocess.run(args=["gh", "repo", "create", repo_name, "--private"]) # ensure the remote exists by creating it in GitHub, therefore I expect the "main" branch to exist in the refs
 subprocess.run(args=["git", "init"])
 repo = git.Repo(str(repo_path))
 remote_name = "origin"
 remote = repo.create_remote(remote_name, repo_url)
 # maybe the remote doesn't exist?
 remote.fetch() # attempt to fetch from the remote in case that's needed to update refs
 print(os.listdir()) # indeed, there are files present besides the .git folder
 repo.head.reference = repo.create_head(working_branch) # raises the error mentioned
 remote_ref = git.RemoteReference(
 repo=repo,
 path=f"refs/remotes/{remote_name}/{working_branch}",
 )
 repo.head.reference.set_tracking_branch(remote_ref)
 branch_obj: git.Head = [h for h in repo.heads if h.name == working_branch][0] # this is old code to try and fetch refs, but none exist
 branch_obj.checkout()
 repo.index.add(["."])
 repo.index.commit("My commit")
 remote.push(set_upstream=True, kill_after_timeout=True)

$ hostnamectl
 Static hostname: *****
 Icon name: computer-container
 Chassis: container
 Machine ID: *****
 Boot ID: *****
 Virtualization: wsl
 Operating System: Ubuntu 20.04.5 LTS
 Kernel: Linux 5.15.146.1-microsoft-standard-WSL2
 Architecture: x86-64

Python 3.11.3 (main, May 17 2023, 14:17:50) [GCC 9.4.0] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>>