systematic-debugging

Root-cause debugging identifies and documents the true origin of bugs before proposing fixes. It resists time pressure and rationalization by enforcing evidence gathering and defense-in-depth validations across multiple system layers.

Systematically debug test failures and production issues by applying a structured four-phase process: Root Cause Investigation, Pattern Analysis, Hypothesis, and Implementation. Each phase enforces explicit STOP conditions to ensure evidence-driven decision making.

The best way to trace data flow to its source is applying defense-in-depth validations across multiple layers. This ensures the traced data is verified at each boundary before forming a root-cause hypothesis.

Yes, this debugging approach works for performance problems and integration bugs. It applies across development workflows, enforcing a four-phase process to identify root causes before any implementation begins.

You should stop investigating and start proposing a fix when explicit STOP conditions are met. These conditions ensure evidence-driven decision making is complete, resisting rationalization and time pressure before moving to the implementation phase.

The limitation of systematic debugging for urgent failures is its strict enforcement of the four-phase process. It deliberately resists time pressure, requiring complete evidence gathering and hypothesis validation before allowing any implementation.