Investigation Mode

---
name: investigation-mode
description: Use when there are 2+ consecutive failures, repeated errors, or the work feels stuck - pauses implementation, switches to root-cause investigation, gathers evidence, and resumes only after a verified plan and options
---

# Investigation Mode

## Overview

This skill provides a hard stop and a repeatable workflow when progress stalls or errors repeat. It prevents “random walk” fixes and forces evidence-first debugging.

## Use when...

- There are **2+ consecutive failures/errors** in the same feature or approach
- The same error comes back after “fixes”
- There is temptation to “just workaround” or change approach silently
- The problem statement is unclear and implementation would be guesswork

## Symptoms / keywords

- “stuck”, “still failing”, “same error”, “again”, “flaky”, “intermittent”, “can’t reproduce”, “works on my machine”
- “quick workaround”, “let’s just do it manually”, “skip validation”, “good enough”
- CI-only failures, nondeterministic tests, repeating TypeScript/build/lint errors

## Rules (verbatim triggers)

### Failure response rules

- **2+ consecutive failures**: Switch to investigation mode
- **Ask before**: Using workarounds or alternatives
- **Explain**: Why original approach failed
- **Options**: Use `task-direction-approval` (2–3 options + trade-offs; ask user when changing direction).

**Core**: Respect user's original intent. When stuck, find proper solutions rather than taking shortcuts.

### After 2 consecutive errors in same feature

1. 🛑 **PAUSE** - Stop implementation immediately
2. 🔍 **INVESTIGATION MODE** - Switch focus to root cause analysis
3. 📖 **Deep Research** - Dispatch a research subagent to execute web fetch for official docs, RFCs, known issues and return a cited Context Package
4. 🧠 **Sequential-thinking** - Analyze fundamental misunderstanding
5. 🧪 **Test First** - Write comprehensive tests before continuing

**Declare mode switch:** "🔍 **INVESTIGATION MODE**: Pausing to research root cause"

## Workflow

1. **Freeze changes**: stop making further edits that are not evidence-driven.
2. **Capture evidence**: record the exact error text, stack traces, logs, and minimal repro steps.
3. **Constrain scope**: isolate the smallest failing unit (single test, single endpoint, single build step).
4. **Run root cause analysis**:
   - **REQUIRED SUB-SKILL:** Use `root-cause-tracing` for systematic isolation techniques.
   - Use `uncertainty-verification` when the fix depends on exact tool/library behavior.
5. **Propose options**: Use `task-direction-approval` (2–3 options + trade-offs).
6. **Ask approval if direction changes**:
   - **REQUIRED SUB-SKILL:** Use `task-direction-approval` when switching library/tool/architecture or replacing automation with manual workaround.
7. **Resume** only after selecting a plan and (when applicable) verifying it with a small test.

## Common mistakes

- Continuing to code while the failure mode is not understood
- Changing direction silently instead of asking for approval
- “Fixing” by adding retries/timeouts without evidence