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.