Ask Yourself Dumb Questions

And answer them.

We often see products in their final form – a presentation, working code, or a published post. But the discovery process is often just as illuminating. Even the dead ends.

Asking dumb questions helps us speedrun those paths that didn't end up working out. Usually, you'll find out quickly why the default path is correct, but once in a while, you'll find a more surprising result.

Dumb questions also help us test our own understanding. What happens when a code block is removed? Could this function use a different class? Dumb questions can unlock a better understanding of the underlying structure.

"I have not failed 10,000 times. I have successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work." – Thomas Edison, in response to a reporter about his invention of the light bulb