anthropics
Enforce Hypothesis-Driven Debugging Mode
Enforce Hypothesis-Driven Debugging Mode
Priority: HIGH
Problem: Claude Code jumps to implementation without forming testable hypotheses. Pattern observed: "Let me try X... that didn't work, let me try Y" instead of "I hypothesize X is failing because Y, so I'll test Z to verify."
Current Behavior:
Random trial and error No articulated reasoning about why an approach should work Doesn't learn from failures - just tries next thing Expected Behavior:
Before each debugging attempt, state hypothesis Explain reasoning: "I believe X because Y, testing with Z" After failure, analyze what was learned Update hypothesis based on new information Impact:
Current approach is inefficient - tries approaches that can't work User can't evaluate if AI's reasoning is sound No systematic elimination of possibilities Suggested Implementation: Optional "hypothesis mode" that requires:
State hypothesis before each attempt Explain expected outcome Analyze results and update hypothesis User can enable this mode for complex debugging tasks Example of Good Output:
Hypothesis: The EAS build is failing because ASC API credentials aren't configured on EAS servers. This is likely because ASC API keys can only repair existing credentials, not create them from scratch.
Test: I'll check EAS documentation for credential initialization requirements before attempting another build.
Expected: Documentation should clarify if ASC API key alone is sufficient or if interactive setup is required first.
