When should I use the five-whys skill in Claude?

Use it during incident reviews, when debugging persistent system errors, or when analyzing business failures to ensure you address the systemic cause rather than just the symptoms.

What is the Five Whys technique?

It is an iterative interrogative technique used to explore the cause-and-effect relationships underlying a particular problem by repeating the question 'Why?' until the root cause is identified.

How does the five-whys skill help with team culture?

It provides alternative, non-confrontational phrasing that shifts the focus from 'who failed' to 'what process failed,' fostering a more collaborative and psychological safe environment.

Does this skill work for non-technical problems?

Yes, it includes specialized frameworks for analyzing customer churn, project delays, and process improvements, making it versatile for both dev and product teams.

Five Whys Root Cause Analysis

Name: Five Whys Root Cause Analysis
Author: flpbalada

byflpbalada

•

Productivity & Workflow

Conducts systematic root cause analysis to uncover the underlying sources of system failures and business problems.

About

The Five Whys skill integrates a proven critical thinking methodology into Claude Code, allowing developers and teams to move beyond surface-level symptoms to identify systemic solutions. Based on the technique originally developed for the Toyota Production System, this tool guides users through iterative questioning, data-driven investigation, and a 'systems over individuals' philosophy. It is especially useful for debugging complex software bugs, conducting post-mortems, and analyzing business failures where understanding the true origin of a problem is essential for preventing its recurrence.

Key Features

Guidance on integrating with other methodologies like Fishbone diagrams and Kaizen
9 GitHub stars
Iterative questioning framework to drill down into deep-seated problem sources
Non-confrontational phrasing templates for collaborative, blame-free investigations
Systemic analysis focus that prioritizes process improvements over individual errors
Standardized output templates for professional documentation and solution tracking

Use Cases

Investigating recurring software bugs that persist despite surface-level fixes
Analyzing business metrics such as sudden spikes in customer churn or project delays
Conducting technical post-mortems after production API failures or system outages

About

Key Features

Guidance on integrating with other methodologies like Fishbone diagrams and Kaizen
9 GitHub stars
Iterative questioning framework to drill down into deep-seated problem sources
Non-confrontational phrasing templates for collaborative, blame-free investigations
Systemic analysis focus that prioritizes process improvements over individual errors
Standardized output templates for professional documentation and solution tracking

Use Cases

Investigating recurring software bugs that persist despite surface-level fixes
Analyzing business metrics such as sudden spikes in customer churn or project delays
Conducting technical post-mortems after production API failures or system outages