systematic-debugging

Root cause diagnosis requires a structured four-phase approach: investigate to gather reproducible steps and logs, analyze patterns in the evidence, hypothesize the underlying issue, and only then implement a fix. This prevents recurring bugs and reveals systemic problems rather than symptoms.

Begin with Phase 1: Root Cause Investigation. Document exact steps to reproduce the issue, collect diagnostic logs at component boundaries, and gather evidence before proposing any changes. This phase gates all subsequent work and ensures you're solving the actual problem.

Evidence-driven debugging prevents guesswork and false fixes. Reproducible steps and diagnostic logs reveal patterns across your codebase and environments, expose root causes rather than surface symptoms, and enable test-driven verification that your fix actually resolves the issue.

No. The four-phase process enforces strict gating between investigation and implementation. Skipping to fixes without evidence gathering and hypothesis testing typically addresses symptoms, leaving root causes unresolved and bugs recurring across your codebase.

You've completed investigation when you have reproducible steps, diagnostic logs from component boundaries, and sufficient evidence to form a testable hypothesis. Phase gating ensures you don't advance until each stage is complete, reducing rework and false fixes.