Episode 335: Senior Questions and Overly Optimistic

Episode Overview

• The episode addresses a listener's question about overcoming the fear of asking for help at a new job with a high technical bar.
• It explores the "tables have turned" scenario, where a developer goes from being an expert at their old company to feeling like a novice at their new one.
• The hosts discuss the core anxiety of "giving off an intern smell" and being perceived as annoying or incompetent.
• Practical, actionable strategies are provided to ask questions effectively while respecting the time of senior colleagues.

Key Concepts

• The "Intern Smell" Anxiety: The core fear of a mid-level developer at a new, high-performing company is that asking too many questions will make them seem inexperienced or burdensome.
• Batching Questions: Instead of frequent interruptions, collect non-urgent questions and address them in a single, scheduled meeting to respect your colleague's focus and time.
• The "Debounce" Method: Apply a "debounce algorithm" to your questions by writing them down and waiting a set period (e.g., a day) before asking, as you may solve them yourself in the meantime.
• Do Your Homework: The most critical step is to demonstrate effort. Before asking for help, thoroughly research the problem and come prepared with a list of things you've already tried.
• Formal Mentorship: Establishing a regular, dedicated meeting with a senior colleague can create a safe and structured space for asking questions and receiving guidance on complex systems.
• Show Gratitude: Always thank colleagues for their time and help, and make an effort to retain the information so you don't have to ask the same question repeatedly.

Quotes

• At 5:20 - "'...without giving off an intern smell.'" - Jamison reads the listener's core concern about asking questions at their new job where they feel less experienced than their peers.
• At 15:10 - "You can even apply a debounce algorithm to your question list." - A memorable analogy for the practice of waiting a day before asking a question to see if you can solve it yourself.
• At 16:40 - "That's a load-bearing NPM module that's been abandoned." - A highly relatable software engineering joke that continues the "load-bearing pebble" analogy.
• At 17:05 - "One thing that can make questions annoying is if it's clear that the question asker didn't do any work before showing up to ask the question." - Identifying the root cause of what makes frequent questions frustrating for senior colleagues.
• At 17:27 - "Come with your list of questions and then under each question, a sub-list of the things that you have tried to answer that question." - Actionable advice on how to demonstrate you've done your homework before asking for help.

Takeaways

• Always demonstrate effort before asking for help by documenting the steps you've already taken to solve the problem.
• Respect your colleagues' time and focus by batching non-urgent questions into a single, scheduled session.
• When you encounter a problem, write down your question and wait a short period, as you will often discover the solution on your own.
• Asking for help is a skill; frame your questions by showing your work, not just by asking for an answer.