analyzing-root-causes

thkt's avatarfrom thkt

Root cause analysis with 5 Whys methodology for software problems. Triggers: 根本原因, root cause, 5 Whys, なぜなぜ分析, 対症療法, patch, symptom, 症状, 表面的, workaround, ワークアラウンド, 本質的, 応急処置, bandaid, quick fix.

⭐3stars🔀0forks📁View on GitHub🕐Updated Jan 4, 2026
[Debugging]

When & Why to Use This Skill

This Claude skill facilitates deep-dive root cause analysis for software bugs using the structured 5 Whys methodology. It helps developers move beyond surface-level symptom fixes to identify and resolve underlying architectural or design flaws, ensuring permanent and robust code solutions.

Use Cases

  • Investigating recurring software bugs where previous patches failed to solve the underlying issue.
  • Conducting post-mortem analysis after a system failure to prevent future occurrences by identifying architectural constraints.
  • Distinguishing between temporary workarounds (symptom fixes) and permanent architectural improvements during code reviews or debugging sessions.
  • Analyzing complex implementation failures to uncover hidden design flaws or technical debt.
nameanalyzing-root-causes
description>
allowed-tools[Read, Grep, Glob, Task]
contextfork
user-invocablefalse

Root Cause Analysis - 5 Whys

Symptom vs Root Cause

Type Example Result
Symptom Fix setTimeout to wait for DOM Breaks later
Root Cause Use React ref properly Permanent fix
Symptom Fix Add flag for double-submit Complexity ↑
Root Cause Disable button on submit Simple fix

5 Whys Process

Step Question Reveals
1 Why does this occur? Observable fact
2 Why does that happen? Implementation detail
3 Why is that the case? Design decision
4 Why does that exist? Architectural constraint
5 Why was it designed this way? Root cause

References

Topic File
5 Whys references/five-whys.md
Patterns references/symptom-patterns.md