Pivoting

Strike 2 of the unstuck protocol. The diagnosis fix didn't work — try a fundamentally different approach.

Rule

NEVER repeat what Strike 1 already tried. The diagnosis failed — doing it again won't help.

Pre-Check: Knowledge Pack

If a knowledge pack was loaded:

1. Check "Gotchas" — is this a known framework trap that wastes debugging time?
2. Check "Known Patterns" — has this been seen before with a known resolution?
3. If a gotcha or pattern matches, apply it directly

Step 1: Find Working Examples

Search the codebase for similar code that works:

# Find similar patterns in the codebase
grep -rn "{RELEVANT_PATTERN}" --include="*.{EXT}" | head -20

• Find a working instance of the same operation (API call, DB query, auth flow, etc.)
• If no working example exists in the codebase, search project dependencies or docs

Step 2: Compare Working vs Broken

List every difference between the working code and the broken code:

| Aspect | Working | Broken |
|--------|---------|--------|
| ... | ... | ... |

Focus on: imports, configuration, argument order, types, async/sync mismatch, middleware/decorator order.

Step 3: Challenge Assumptions

Question what Strike 1 took for granted:

• Is the environment actually configured correctly? (check env vars, config files)
• Is the dependency version compatible? (check lock file, not just manifest)
• Is the data actually in the expected format? (log raw values)
• Is the code actually being executed? (add a log/print at the entry point)

Step 4: Try a Different Method

Pick ONE alternative approach:

If Strike 1 tried...	Pivot to...
Fixing the current code	Using a different library/API
Debugging data flow	Rewriting the function from scratch
Config changes	Hardcoding values to isolate the issue
Async approach	Sync equivalent (or vice versa)
Complex solution	Simplest possible implementation

Implement the alternative. Test with the same verification as Strike 1.

Step 5: Verify

• Does the alternative approach pass the original test case?
• Does it break any existing functionality?
• Is it a viable long-term solution (not just a hack)?

Outcome

Report to the orchestrator:

Pivot:
  Approach: {WHAT_WAS_TRIED}
  Differs from Strike 1: {HOW}
  Result: { resolved | not resolved }
  Evidence: {WHAT_WAS_LEARNED}

If resolved, include the alternative that worked and why. If not resolved, include what was ruled out — this narrows the search for Strike 3.