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Matt Pocock diagnose

A debugging skill built around feedback loops, reproduction, minimization, hypothesis testing, instrumentation, and regression tests.

Repository
mattpocock/skills
Skill path
skills/engineering/diagnose/SKILL.md
Systems
Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Zed
Install
npx add-skill mattpocock/skills
GitHub stars
119,433
Updated
2026-06-06
Source
README · SKILL.md

What it is

diagnose is a debugging skill for hard bugs and performance regressions. Its source file frames the process as reproduce, minimize, hypothesize, instrument, fix, and regression-test.

Why it is useful

The skill's strongest idea is the feedback loop. It tells the agent to spend disproportionate effort creating a fast, deterministic pass/fail signal before changing code.

Best uses

  • Bugs that are hard to reproduce.
  • Performance regressions with unclear ownership.
  • UI, CLI, or API failures where a runnable script can become the feedback loop.

Notes

This is a good default debugging skill because it slows the agent down before it guesses. It pairs well with browser or log-analysis skills.