# Step Back

> Break a failed implementation loop by tracing attempts, identifying the real blocker, and proposing a materially different direction before further changes. Use when repeated fixes or investigations are not converging.

- Skill: `megabadcoder/step-back` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add megabadcoder/step-back`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/megabadcoder/step-back/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: MegaBadCoder (https://skillmd.com/u/megabadcoder)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/megabadcoder/step-back

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# Circuit breaker

Stop the current approach. Do not make another fix until the user confirms a new direction.

1. State the user-facing goal in one sentence.
2. List the last three to five attempts and what failed in each.
3. Name the common root issue in one sentence: an invalid assumption, unsupported capability, architectural constraint, or needless complexity.
4. Propose a genuinely different approach, why it avoids the blocker, and its risks or trade-offs.