Rubber Ducking

Early in my career I worked with a company that specialized in Ed-tech data processing.

They had two architect’s in the room who wouldn’t talk much. Occasionally when I can’t figure things on my own I used to go to one of them.

He used to hand me a pen and a paper and asked me to write it down. Sometimes he would ask questions about the problem I had in my hand as I write it down.

Most of the times half way through writing it down the solution would occur to me. He would just nod and let me leave.

This happened a few of times, when i realized it I started doing it in my own until it became a second nature.

Defining the problem clearly is half of the solution. Sometimes you get deep into the solution space and forget the details about the problem space. That’s when rubber ducking becomes helpful.

Explain the problem step by step to a rubber duck, by virtue of explaining the problem the solution might occur to you.