Systematic Debugging

Iron Law

NO FIXES WITHOUT ROOT CAUSE INVESTIGATION FIRST.

Fixing symptoms creates whack-a-mole debugging. Every fix that doesn't address root cause makes the next bug harder to find. Find the root cause, then fix it.

Phase 1: Root Cause Investigation

Gather context before forming any hypothesis.

1. Collect symptoms: Read the error messages, stack traces, and reproduction steps. If the user hasn't provided enough context, ask ONE question at a time. Don't ask five questions at once.

2. Read the code: Trace the code path from the symptom back to potential causes. Search for all references, read the logic around the failure point.

3. Check recent changes: