Troubleshooting isn’t just about fixing things. It’s about understanding the problem at hand.

That’s something I’ve learned again and again—in code, in systems, and even in everyday life. The instinct to pause, observe, and go deeper is what separates a quick patch from a real resolution.

A Tech Example

Your build pipeline fails. Maybe your .NET project doesn’t compile on Azure DevOps. The natural instinct is to think, “It must be a cloud agent issue.” But wait—does it fail on your local machine too?

If not, the issue isn’t your code. It’s something about the hosted environment. If it does fail locally, now you’re on to something. Could it be a missing package, a bad path, a wrong version of the SDK?

You start peeling layers. You recreate the steps. You mimic the environment. You compare logs, configurations, build parameters. You go step by step.

That’s troubleshooting. It’s not about rushing to the answer—it’s about understanding the system, its state, and where it diverges from what you expect.

A Real-World Example

Let’s say your kitchen sink is pooling water. First reaction? Go buy some chemical drain cleaner and dump it in. But that’s not troubleshooting—that’s trial-and-error with a price tag.

Instead, stop and ask: Why is the water pooling? Where’s the trap? Is it blocked? What’s the principle of how this pipe system works?

You take a wrench. You place a bowl underneath. You loosen the trap. You inspect. Maybe it’s food scraps or grease buildup. You clean it, reassemble, test—and now you not only solved it, but you understand how it works. You’ve learned something.

That’s what matters. Not just solving, but understanding.

Be Methodical

When you’re troubleshooting anything, it’s critical to be methodical. Start with a few simple questions:

  • What exactly is the problem?
  • When did it start happening?
  • What changed?
  • Can I isolate it? Can I reproduce it?

You don’t panic. You don’t jump to the most complex fix. You walk through it. You verify assumptions. You understand.

Because once you understand a system—really understand it—the solution often reveals itself. It’s not magic. It’s not guesswork. It’s clarity.

The Mindset

This mindset—to troubleshoot, to explore, to be curious—applies to everything. A flaky Wi-Fi connection. A sudden drop in app performance. A teammate who seems off.

It all starts with a willingness to go one level deeper, to ask, what’s really going on here?

If you want to go far—in engineering, in leadership, in life—learn to go one step forward. Don’t rush past the problem. Sit with it. Study it.

Understanding is the path. Curiosity is the spark.