root-cause-analysislisted

# 🔬 Root Cause Analysis Skill > **Philosophy:** Don't stop at the first "why" — dig until you hit bedrock. ## When to Use Use this skill when: - Systematic debugging found the bug but not WHY it exists - Issue keeps recurring despite fixes - Bug seems to have multiple contributing factors - You need to prevent similar bugs in the future - There's a systemic/architectural issue suspected **Do NOT use this skill when:** - Bug is simple and obvious - Time is extremely limited (use quick-fix) - Just need to patch, not understand --- ## Prerequisites Before starting: - [ ] Bug has been identified (what is happening) - [ ] Have access to relevant code and history - [ ] Understand the system architecture (high level) - [ ] Have time for thorough analysis (~30-60 mins) --- ## Process ### Phase 1: PROBLEM DEFINITION 📝 **Goal:** Clearly define what we're analyzing. **Steps:** 1. **State the Problem Precisely** ``` Template: "When [condition], the system [actual behavior] instead of [expected behavior]." Example: "When a user submits a login form with special characters, the system returns a 500 error instead of validating input." ``` 2. **Gather Impact Data** - How often does it occur? - Who/what is affected? - What's the business impact? - How long has it been happening? 3. **Document Timeline** - When did it first appear? - Any recent changes before first occurrence? - Has it gotten better/worse? **Output:** Clear