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problem-solving

Testing & Quality
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(ePost) Use when stuck, facing a complex bug, or need root cause analysis — 5 whys, bisection, inversion techniques

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Source SKILL.md: https://github.com/majiayu000/claude-skill-registry/blob/HEAD/skills/analysis/problem-solving-klara-copilot-epost-agent-kit/SKILL.md

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Problem Solving Skill

Purpose

Root cause analysis and complex problem resolution.

When Active

User reports bug, system is behaving unexpectedly, debugging feels stuck.

Expertise

Techniques

Root Cause Analysis (5 Whys)

Ask "why" 5 times to dig past symptoms to fundamental cause.

Inversion

Ask "what would make this fail?" then prevent those conditions.

Collision Zone Thinking

Find where multiple systems interact. Bugs live at boundaries.

State Machine Extraction

When a component behaves unexpectedly, extract its actual state machine from code. Compare actual vs expected transitions — the diff IS the bug. See plan/references/state-machine-guide.md for notation.

Simplification Cascades

Remove complexity until problem disappears. Add back until it returns.

When Stuck

  1. Change perspective (explain to rubber duck)
  2. Bisect the problem (binary search for root cause)
  3. Check assumptions (what are you taking for granted?)
  4. Sleep on it (context switch resets mental model)
  5. Zoom out (is this really the right problem?)

Patterns

Root Cause Analysis Format

Problem: [Observed behavior]
Why 1: [Immediate cause]
Why 2: [What caused that]
Why 3: [Layer deeper]
Why 4: [Systemic issue]
Why 5: [Fundamental cause]
Fix: [Address root, not symptom]

Bisection Strategy

  • Create minimal failing test
  • Remove half the code
  • Does it still fail? If yes, problem is in remaining half
  • Repeat until isolated

Best Practices

  • Fix root causes, not symptoms
  • Don't stop at first "why"
  • Test your hypothesis before implementing
  • Consider environmental factors
  • Document the problem-solving path
  • Share what you learned with team

Related Skills

  • debug — Systematic debugging methodology
  • error-recovery — Error handling and recovery patterns
  • knowledge-capture — Persist root cause findings
  • sequential-thinking — Structured step-by-step reasoning