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principle-attack-the-premise

Diagnose repeated fix failures by questioning the shared premise behind them.

2|Updated Jun 27, 2026
Search Tags:#debugging#root cause analysis#systems design#Census#asymmetry#premise#fix failures
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/imjasonh/playground --skill principle-attack-the-premise-imjasonh
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: principle-attack-the-premise
Source: https://github.com/imjasonh/playground/tree/main/.cursor/skills/principle-attack-the-premise
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/imjasonh/playground --skill principle-attack-the-premise-imjasonh

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? When two or more fixes built on the same assumption keep failing the same gate, this Skill stops you from writing yet another fix and instead directs you to question the premise all the failed fixes shared. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Premise Identification: Write down the single sentence that every failed fix assumed, turning repeated failures into evidence about that premise. - Actor Census: Run a rerunnable census script that counts which actors hold the imbalance, revealing whether the same few actors are assigned the failing role on every run. - Asymmetry Removal: Rotate, randomize, or relocate the role so no actor holds it every run, instead of adding compensating work like return paths or periodic rebalances. - Use Case: A load-balancing fix has failed three times under the assumption that traffic is evenly distributed. Use this Skill to census per-node load, discover the same nodes always receive the hot shards, and change the assignment rather than patching the balancer again. ## Quick Start Apply the attack-the-premise principle to my recurring bug where multiple fixes keep failing the same test gate.

Frequently Asked Questions about principle-attack-the-premise

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I debug a bug when multiple fixes keep failing?▼

When two or more fixes sharing one premise fail the same gate, stop writing fixes and question the premise. Write down the one sentence every fix assumed, then take a census of which actors hold the imbalance before attempting anything else.

What is an actor census in root cause analysis?▼

An actor census is a rerunnable script that counts the imbalance per actor, showing which actors hold the imbalance rather than how large it is. If the same few actors hold most of it on every run, something assigns them that role.

When should I question the premise instead of writing another fix?▼

Question the premise when two or more fixes that share one assumption have failed the same gate. Each failure under a shared premise is evidence about the premise itself, not about the individual fixes.

What if the census shows the imbalance is even across actors?▼

If the census is even across actors, the premise is not the cause of the failures. Keep the census as evidence and look for the cause elsewhere in the system.

Why remove asymmetry instead of compensating for it?▼

Compensating mechanisms like return paths, shared pools, or periodic rebalances leave the skewed assignment in place and add work on every run. Rotating, randomizing, or moving the role removes the asymmetry so no actor holds it permanently.

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