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root-cause-analysis

Skill114 starsChanged 10 months agoMITView on GitHub

Uncover root causes through recursive Why questioning and consequence exploration. Use before acting on problems.

17 other projects use a version of this.

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Projects with it also use observability, adversarial-review and 5 more.

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The file

We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent

7 rules. 0 are common, 7 are distinctive, and 0 are very specific to this project.

  • 0

    Common

    Most of the 16 edited versions we read keep these.

  • 7

    Distinctive

    This author's own choices. Worth a look.

  • 0

    Very specific

    Tied to their project's names, files or tools. Probably skip.

  • Common
  • Distinctive
  • Very specific
  1. Distinctive:

    When you need to deeply understand a problem, decision, or situation before acting.

    line 12
  2. Distinctive:

    Start with the initial question and ask "Why?" repeatedly:

    line 18
  3. Distinctive:

    Ask "Why?" at least 5 times

    line 19
  4. Distinctive:

    If multiple reasons emerge, explore each branch

    line 21
  5. Distinctive:

    After finding root causes, explore forward:

    line 32
  6. Distinctive:

    Consider both positive and negative outcomes.

    line 37
  7. Distinctive:

    Do not use this skill when the request is unrelated, low-stakes, or better handled by a simpler direct response.

    line 55

“Common” is measured: kept by at least 6 in 10 of the 16 edited versions of this file we could read. “Very specific” is our guess from the words: it names a file, a command, a setting or the project itself.

Keep what fits and drop the rest. Your version, ready for your agents.
Files
SKILL.md

Root Cause Analysis

Uncover root causes and explore consequences through structured questioning.

When to Use

When you need to deeply understand a problem, decision, or situation before acting.

The Process

1. Recursive "Why" Questioning

Start with the initial question and ask "Why?" repeatedly:

  • Ask "Why?" at least 5 times
  • Go deeper until you reach fundamental causes
  • If multiple reasons emerge, explore each branch

Example:

  • Why did users churn? → Onboarding was confusing
  • Why was it confusing? → Too many steps
  • Why too many steps? → We added features without simplifying
  • Why didn't we simplify? → No ownership of onboarding experience
  • Why no ownership? → Org structure doesn't align to user journey

2. Consequence Exploration

After finding root causes, explore forward:

  • 1st order: Immediate consequences
  • 2nd order: What results from those?
  • 3rd-5th order: Downstream effects

Consider both positive and negative outcomes.

3. First Principles Check

  • What fundamental truths underlie this?
  • What assumptions are we making?
  • What alternative perspectives exist?
  • Where are the gaps in logic?

Output Format

  • Root causes (the "Why?" chain)
  • Consequences (1st through 5th order)
  • First principles (fundamental truths, assumptions)
  • Conclusion (key insights)

When Not to Use

Do not use this skill when the request is unrelated, low-stakes, or better handled by a simpler direct response.

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