diagnose-why-work-stopped

Diagnose stalled or looping Todero issue trees and produce approved product-rule plans.

Updated Mar 26, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/nabitllc/todero --skill diagnose-why-work-stopped-nabitllc
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: diagnose-why-work-stopped
Source: https://github.com/nabitllc/todero/tree/main/.agents/skills/diagnose-why-work-stopped
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/nabitllc/todero --skill diagnose-why-work-stopped-nabitllc

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? When an AI-agent issue tree stalls, loops infinitely, or recovers too deeply, teams need a repeatable forensic procedure to find the exact stop point and define a general product rule instead of shipping one-off patches. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Tree Forensics: Walk the named issue tree node-by-node to identify the exact issue and state combination that stopped progress, with run ids and comment evidence. - Invariant-Checked Rule Design: Frame every fix as a general product contract that preserves three invariants: productive work continues, only real blockers stop work, and no infinite loops. - Approval-Gated Planning: Write a phased plan into the issue's plan document, open a request_confirmation interaction, and only decompose into child issues after board acceptance. - Use Case: A manager links a stalled issue tree and asks why work stopped; the skill produces a root-cause write-up, a contract-style product rule reconciled against doc/execution-semantics.md, and a phased remediation plan. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to diagnose why the linked issue tree stopped working and produce a root-cause analysis with a product-rule plan before any code changes.

Frequently Asked Questions about diagnose-why-work-stopped

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I diagnose why an AI agent issue tree stopped working?

Walk the issue tree node-by-node to find the exact issue and state combination that stops progress, quoting run ids and comment timestamps as evidence. Common stop shapes include in_review states with no action path and blocker chains ending in cancelled leaves.

How to prevent infinite loops in stranded-work recovery?

Bound continuation loops and ensure recovery never treats its own recovery issues as recoverable source work, which is the canonical infinite loop. Every proposed rule must be checked against the no-infinite-loops invariant before approval.

When should I use diagnostic forensics instead of shipping a code fix?

Use this diagnostic flow when asked why work stopped, why it looped, or how to prevent recurrence, and when the user wants a product rule rather than a patch. Do not use it for direct code-change assignments or ordinary single-feature bug reports.

What are the three invariants for agent liveness rules?

Productive work must continue without user intervention, only real blockers may stop work, and recovery loops must be bounded. Any proposed product rule that violates one of these invariants must be dropped or reworked.

Can I diagnose issue trees in another company workspace?

Cross-company forensics must respect API scoping; if the agent token returns 403, do not bypass it. Either request a board-approved diagnostic path or proceed from inferred evidence and explicitly label it as provisional.