What problem does it solve? Random fixes and quick patches waste time, mask underlying issues, and introduce new bugs. This Skill enforces a disciplined debugging methodology that finds the actual root cause before any fix is attempted, even under time pressure or social pressure to apply a quick workaround. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Four-Phase Process: Root cause investigation, pattern analysis, hypothesis testing, and implementation, with mandatory completion of each phase before proceeding. - Supporting Techniques: Includes root-cause-tracing (backward call-stack tracing), defense-in-depth validation at multiple layers, and condition-based waiting to replace flaky arbitrary timeouts in tests. - Pressure Resistance: Explicit anti-patterns, red flags, and rationalization tables that stop shortcut behavior during emergencies, plus a rule to question the architecture after 3+ failed fixes. - Use Case: A test suite has flaky failures caused by arbitrary sleep calls. Use this Skill to trace the root cause, replace timeouts with condition-based polling, and add layered validation so the bug cannot recur. ## Quick Start Use the systematic-debugging skill to investigate this failing test and find its root cause before suggesting any fix.
