Structured Debugging

When debugging hard issues, the natural instinct is to form a theory and immediately apply a fix. This fails more often than it works. The fix addresses the wrong cause, adds complexity, creates false confidence, and obscures the real issue. Worse, after several failed attempts you lose track of what's been tried and start guessing randomly.

This methodology replaces guessing with a disciplined cycle that converges on the root cause. Each iteration narrows the search space. It's slower per attempt but dramatically faster overall because you stop wasting runs on wrong theories.

The Cycle

1. Hypothesize

Before touching code, write down what you think is happening and why. Be specific about the expected state at each step in the execution path.