deep-investigation

structure

The investigation archetype starts with a puzzle: something unexpected happened, metrics don't add up, or a system behaves contrary to expectation. The post then methodically eliminates hypotheses until the root cause is revealed.

• Observation — the puzzling phenomenon (counterintuitive metric, strange behavior, unexpected result)
• Hypotheses (1–3 H2 sections) — each a plausible explanation for the observation
• The truth — the actual root cause, why the initial hypothesis was wrong

Works for: debugging post-mortems, performance mysteries, cost anomalies, system behavior surprises.

required widgets

• Metrics visualization — charts showing the puzzle (the anomaly that started the investigation)
• Timeline, flame graph, or sequence diagram — shows the reveal or root-cause mechanism

visual silhouette

archetype-check rules

• H2 structure: "observation", 1–3 "hypothesis: " sections, "the truth"
• `<p class="vg-deep-opener">` exists
• `<span class="vg-dropcap">` exists with exactly 1 character
• ≥2 inline `<svg>` elements (metrics and reveal)
• `<p class="vg-deep-closer">` with `<strong>Take-away</strong>`
• Universal contract: opener, dropcap, closer with strong tag

when to use

Investigation is perfect for posts that are about problem-solving methodology. The reader learns not just what the root cause was, but how to systematically rule out hypotheses. This archetype transforms debugging stories into educational narratives.