Debug a Broken Formula With Five Whys
Apply Five Whys to diagnose a Google Sheets formula error to its root cause.
root-cause-chain common-trap try-feedback A renewal forecast uses XLOOKUP to pull account segment. Several rows return #N/A right before the forecast is shared. Five Whys for formula errors: symptom -> failed assumption -> upstream cause -> process fix The common trap is wrapping the lookup in IFERROR("Unknown") immediately. That may make the sheet look clean while hiding a broken ID-map process. Name the symptom The forecast shows #N/A in Segment for 37 accounts. A precise symptom keeps the debugging focused. "The sheet is broken" is too vague to fix. Ask why the formula failed The lookup key in Forecast!A:A is not…
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