skills/writing-strategy/references/5_whys_analysis.md

# 5 Whys Analysis / 5 WHY 분석

- English name: 5 Whys Analysis
- Korean name: 5 WHY 분석
- Selection category: analysis
- Use when: Use when the central task is root-cause discovery through repeated why questions.
- Avoid when: Avoid when the answer is already known and the draft only needs persuasion.

## Writing Pattern

**Use a fixed number of major sections; structure them as follows**

- Diagnose the problem phenomenon
- **WHY 1–WHY 5**: Stepwise exploration by repeatedly asking “Why?”
- Summarize the root cause and the direction for solutions
- Action plan and expected impact
- You don’t need exactly five steps; repeat the WHY question until the core cause clearly emerges.
- You may merge or shorten some WHY steps if appropriate for the situation.

**Each major section should include**

- Section heading
- Core paragraph purpose (1–2 sentences)
- Sections should connect logically, with each WHY delving progressively deeper.

## Example Writing Outline

1. **Customer Churn Is Increasing**: In Q1 this year, churn jumped from 18% to 32%. (Problem diagnosis)
2. **WHY 1 – Why Are Customers Leaving?**: Many struggled early on; onboarding was overly complex.
3. **WHY 2 – Why Was Onboarding Complex?**: We tried to introduce too many features at once, causing information overload.
4. **WHY 3 – Why Front-load All Features?**: A feature-centric communication strategy took precedence over a customer-centric design.
5. **WHY 4 – Why Was Customer-Centric Design Lacking?**: We skipped real user research during the initial planning phase.
6. **Root Cause and Direction**: The absence of customer-centered early research is the core issue; we must shift our design approach.
7. **Action Plan and Expected Impact**: From the next project, mandate user interviews before UX design and adopt staged onboarding; expect a 20% drop in early churn.

## Writing Notes

- Each WHY must follow a natural causal chain toward the core cause—don’t force it.
- Support every WHY step with quantitative or qualitative evidence for persuasiveness.
- The final solution must directly address the identified root cause and be realistically actionable.
- Because this framework underpins problem-solving articles, make the structure solid and goal-aligned.