Drop the Shotgun and Pick Up a Meter: Why Testing Beats Guessing Every Time

Let me ask you something: have you ever replaced a part… only to find out it didn’t fix the problem? In the Coast Guard we called that shotgun maintenance. 

You’re not alone. Most people don’t troubleshoot—they guess. They Google the symptoms, find a forum post, and swap out the same part someone else replaced. Sometimes it works. Most times, it doesn’t. And every wrong guess costs time, money, and sanity.

That’s why the second principle of The Internet Method is all about what’s needed for normal operation—and how to prove what's missing.

Guessing Is the Enemy of Efficiency

When you guess, you're treating the symptom, not solving the problem. It's like putting a bucket under a leak without figuring out where the water's coming from.

Guessing leads to:

• Replacing good parts
• Wasting time and money
• Ignoring the real cause
• Eventually giving up

Troubleshooting, on the other hand, is about logic and testing. It’s about proving what works and what doesn’t—so you only fix what actually needs fixing.

Assumptions Are Your Blind Spots

Let’s say your car won’t start. You might assume it’s the starter. But did you check if the battery is good? Did you test if power is getting to the starter? Did you rule out the ignition switch?

Every assumption is a shortcut that skips understanding. And every time you skip understanding, you risk walking straight past the real issue.

Test. Everything. (Cheaply First)

You don’t need fancy tools to test things, you need a strategy. Once you’ve located where in the sequence of operation the system stops, your next move is simple:

Test the cheapest or easiest-to-check items first.

That means:

Don’t buy a new router—check if power is even getting to the plug.

Don’t assume your phone battery is bad—try another charger.

Proving something works is just as valuable as finding what doesn't. Every “known good” you confirm shrinks the list of suspects and gets you one step closer to the actual fix.

Tie-In: The Internet Method Step Two

This is exactly why The Internet Method works.

Step 1: Why do I think there’s a problem? (Define the symptom.)

Step 2: What is needed for normal operation? (List everything that must work.)

Step 3: Which needed item is missing? (Check each one, and test until you find the failure.)

Testing is how you move from Step 2 to Step 3. Without tests, you’re just throwing darts blindfolded.

Final Thought: Don’t Be a Shotgun Maintainer 

You don’t need to be an expert to troubleshoot like one. You just need to prove your way to the answer instead of assuming it. Anyone can learn to test, observe, eliminate, and confirm.

So next time something breaks, don’t reach for your wallet. Reach for your multimeter, your eyes, your ears, or your Google search bar—and start proving.

Want help testing your way through problems?

Grab the free troubleshooting worksheet at theinternetmethod.com. Learn how to fix anything with logic, not luck.