Fix AI Agents' Optimistic Debugging with the /diagnosing-bugs Skill

mattpocockuk · x · 2026-08-10

AI coding agents often exhibit a "bad developer" trait during debugging, becoming overly optimistic and jumping to conclusions without solid evidence.

To counter this, the /diagnosing-bugs skill forces the agent to establish a tight feedback loop before forming any theory. It requires a single, named command that reproduces the bug (red) and passes when fixed (green). Once this signal exists, subsequent steps like bisection and hypothesis-testing proceed mechanically, preventing the agent from simply reading code and guessing.

Related event: New Skill Tackles AI Coding Agents' Blind Optimism in Debugging(2 posts)→

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