How do I install the Root Cause skill?

Run npx skillmds add majiayu000/root-cause in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Root Cause safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. Capability flags: docs only. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Root Cause?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Root Cause free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Root Cause?

majiayu000 (@majiayu000) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Root Cause by majiayu000 — Agent Skill

Name: Root Cause
Rating: 4.2 (5 reviews)
Author: majiayu000

Root Cause

Dig to fundamental truths and real causes behind problems. Use when user asks "why does this happen", "what's the real problem", "root cause", "first principles", "jobs to be done", "JTBD", "five whys", "fundamental reason", or needs to understand underlying causes rather than symptoms.

majiayu000 81a0d5b 2 files · 3.0 KB Updated Sep 9, 2026 567 repo stars

File contents

Root Cause - Fundamental Truth Finder

Dig beneath symptoms to find fundamental causes and truths. Stop treating symptoms and solve actual problems.

Quick Start

Identify what you're trying to understand
Select technique based on what you need
Keep digging until you hit bedrock

Technique Selection

Need	Use	Why
Understand why a problem occurs	Five Whys	Chain backward to root cause
Challenge assumptions, rebuild from scratch	First Principles	Strip away conventions
Understand what users actually need	Jobs-to-be-Done	Focus on underlying motivation

Default: Use Five Whys for problems, JTBD for user needs, First Principles for innovation.

Techniques

Five Whys

Chain backward from symptom to root cause by repeatedly asking "why?" until you hit fundamental cause.

Read cookbook/five-whys.md

First Principles Decomposition

Strip away assumptions and conventions to find fundamental truths, then rebuild solutions from basics.

Read cookbook/first-principles.md

Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD)

Understand what users are really trying to accomplish, not what they say they want.

Read cookbook/jobs-to-be-done.md

Core Principles

Symptoms lie - Surface problems often hide deeper causes
Keep asking - First answer is rarely the root cause
Challenge assumptions - "That's just how it works" isn't an explanation
Multiple roots - Problems often have several contributing causes
Verify - Test your root cause hypothesis before acting

When Root Cause Analysis Works Best

Same problem keeps recurring
Fixes don't stick
Problem feels like "that's just how it is"
You're solving what customers ask for, not what they need
Starting something new and want to avoid inherited assumptions

Warning Signs You Need This

"We've tried everything but the problem persists"
"That's how we've always done it"
"Users say they want X" (but X doesn't seem to help)
"We fixed that already" (but it came back)
Solving lots of small problems instead of one big one

---name: root-causedescription: Dig to fundamental truths and real causes behind problems. Use when user asks "why does this happen", "what's the real problem", "root cause", "first principles", "jobs to be done", "JTBD", "five whys", "fundamental reason", or needs to understand underlying causes rather than symptoms.--- # Root Cause - Fundamental Truth Finder Dig beneath symptoms to find fundamental causes and truths. Stop treating symptoms and solve actual problems. ## Quick Start 1. Identify what you're trying to understand 2. Select technique based on what you need 3. Keep digging until you hit bedrock ## Technique Selection | Need | Use | Why | |------|-----|-----| | Understand why a problem occurs | Five Whys | Chain backward to root cause | | Challenge assumptions, rebuild from scratch | First Principles | Strip away conventions | | Understand what users actually need | Jobs-to-be-Done | Focus on underlying motivation | **Default**: Use Five Whys for problems, JTBD for user needs, First Principles for innovation. ## Techniques ### Five Whys Chain backward from symptom to root cause by repeatedly asking "why?" until you hit fundamental cause. Read [cookbook/five-whys.md](./cookbook/five-whys.md) ### First Principles Decomposition Strip away assumptions and conventions to find fundamental truths, then rebuild solutions from basics. Read [cookbook/first-principles.md](./cookbook/first-principles.md) ### Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) Understand what users are really trying to accomplish, not what they say they want. Read [cookbook/jobs-to-be-done.md](./cookbook/jobs-to-be-done.md) ## Core Principles 1. **Symptoms lie** - Surface problems often hide deeper causes 2. **Keep asking** - First answer is rarely the root cause 3. **Challenge assumptions** - "That's just how it works" isn't an explanation 4. **Multiple roots** - Problems often have several contributing causes 5. **Verify** - Test your root cause hypothesis before acting ## When Root Cause Analysis Works Best - Same problem keeps recurring - Fixes don't stick - Problem feels like "that's just how it is" - You're solving what customers ask for, not what they need - Starting something new and want to avoid inherited assumptions ## Warning Signs You Need This - "We've tried everything but the problem persists" - "That's how we've always done it" - "Users say they want X" (but X doesn't seem to help) - "We fixed that already" (but it came back) - Solving lots of small problems instead of one big one

Frequently asked questions