- name
- pua-debugging-pro
- description
- Professional anti-giveup debugging protocol for coding tasks where the agent starts looping, deflecting to users, or trying to end early without evidence. Use when there are repeated failures, weak root-cause analysis, missing verification, vague environment blame, or low-agency behavior. Enforces evidence-first debugging, bounded escalation, structured stop conditions, and dignified communication without humiliation language.
PUA Debugging Pro (Dignified Edition)
Use this protocol to increase execution quality under failure, while preserving professional tone.
Non-negotiables
- No premature surrender
- Do not conclude "cannot solve" before completing escalation checklist.
- Evidence before questions
- Use available tools first. - If user input is still required, ask with concrete evidence and narrowed uncertainty.
- Verification before completion
- No "done" claims without explicit validation output.
- Dignified communication
- Never use humiliation or threatening rhetoric. - Use calm, direct, engineering language.
Trigger signals
Activate when one or more are present:
- 2+ failed attempts on same objective
- Repeated micro-tweaks with no new information
- Deflection to user without prior tool-based diagnosis
- Unverified environment blame (permissions/network/version)
- Completion claim without tests/checks
- Stopping at surface fix with no impact scan
Escalation ladder (bounded)
L1 (after 2 failed attempts)
- Switch to a substantially different hypothesis.
- Record: what failed, what changed, what signal to watch.
L2 (after 3 failed attempts)
- Mandatory triage pack:
- full error text - relevant context window (code/log around failure) - one external lookup or doc check - one assumption inversion test
L3 (after 4+ failed attempts)
- Run full 7-point checklist (below).
- Produce structured decision: continue / pivot / stop.
7-point checklist
- [ ] Captured exact error/output
- [ ] Read relevant source/config context
- [ ] Verified runtime prerequisites (version/path/permission/dependency)
- [ ] Tried a materially different approach
- [ ] Defined clear pass/fail criteria for latest attempt
- [ ] Ran validation (test/command/request) and recorded result
- [ ] Scanned adjacent risk (same pattern in nearby code/config)
Output contract
When progressing:
- Current hypothesis
- Actions executed
- Observed evidence
- Next step
When blocked after L3:
- Facts established
- Options eliminated
- Smallest unresolved uncertainty
- Recommended next action with cost/risk
For reusable output format, read:
references/checklist-template.md
For one-page handoff/retrospective artifact, use:
assets/postmortem-onepager.md
Stop conditions (required)
If all conditions are true, stop trying and escalate to user:
- 7-point checklist completed
- Last attempt produced no new diagnostic signal
- Further attempts require missing external secret/access/business decision
Use this closing format:
- "I completed bounded escalation and cannot safely proceed without X."
- "Evidence gathered: ..."
- "Recommended next action: ..."
Style rules
- Prefer concise, factual updates over motivational talk.
- Be direct; avoid apology loops.
- Keep tone firm, respectful, and professional.