Review Root-Cause Hypothesis

A root-cause hypothesis is a proposed explanation for what is actually producing an observed problem, stated in a form that can be tested. Until evidence supports it over the competing explanations, it stays a hypothesis, not a finding.

A root-cause hypothesis is an evidence-seeking guess about what is producing a problem. The team tests it against observations and other possible explanations before treating it as the cause.

Friction mapping should not treat every first explanation as fact. Good discovery separates what was observed from what may be causing it.

Observation: The team keeps a spreadsheet outside the CRM. Hypothesis: The CRM does not provide a scheduling view that the team trusts.

A plausible explanation is not automatically the root cause. The first explanation may describe a symptom, omit contributing factors, or fail when tested against the evidence.

A cause is a hypothesis until evidence holds it up.

* Observation * Friction * Recommendation Boundary * Premature Recommendation

* [ASQ, "What is Root Cause Analysis?"](https://asq.org/quality-resources/root-cause-analysis) — approaches for uncovering causes and connecting them to corrective action. * [ASQ, "What is Problem Solving?"](https://asq.org/quality-resources/problem-solving) — diagnosing and verifying causes before selecting a solution.

* [[observation|Observation]] * [[recommendation-boundary|Recommendation Boundary]] * [RS AI Learning Lab, "Friction Mapping: Understanding Work Before Recommending Solutions"](../../../../modules/friction-mapping-understanding-work-before-recommending-solutions/module.md)