Five Whys Analysis Apply the Five Whys root cause analysis technique to investigate issues. ## Description This command implements the Five Whys problem-solving methodology, iteratively asking "why" to drill down from symptoms to root causes. It helps identify the fundamental reason behind a problem rather than just addressing surface-level symptoms. ## Usage five [issue_description] ## Variables - ISSUE: The problem or symptom to analyze (default: prompt for input) - DEPTH: Number of "why" iterations (default: 5, can be adjusted) ## Steps 1. Start with the problem statement 2. Ask "Why did this happen?" and document the answer 3. For each answer, ask "Why?" again 4. Continue for at least 5 iterations or until root cause is found 5. Validate the root cause by working backwards 6. Propose solutions that address the root cause ## Examples ### Example 1: Application crash analysis `` Problem: Application crashes on startup Why 1: Database connection fails Why 2: Connection string is invalid Why 3: Environment variable not set Why 4: Deployment script missing env setup Why 5: Documentation didn't specify env requirements Root Cause: Missing deployment documentation `` ### Example 2: Performance issue investigation Systematically trace why a feature is running slowly by examining each contributing factor. ## Notes - Don't stop at symptoms; keep digging for systemic issues - Multiple root causes may exist - explore different branches - Document each "why" for future reference - Consider both technical and process-related causes - The magic isn't in exactly 5 whys - stop when you reach the true root cause