pua-debugging-pro

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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.

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PUA Debugging Pro (Dignified Edition)

Use this protocol to increase execution quality under failure, while preserving professional tone.

Non-negotiables

1. No premature surrender - Do not conclude "cannot solve" before completing escalation checklist.

2. Evidence before questions - Use available tools first. - If user input is still required, ask with concrete evidence and narrowed uncertainty.

3. Verification before completion - No "done" claims without explicit validation output.

4. 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: 1. 7-point checklist completed 2. Last attempt produced no new diagnostic signal 3. 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.