Stage 2 · Lesson 5 of 8
Asking good questions, at the right time
In your first weeks you will ask more questions than at any other time. How you ask decides how gladly people help. gives the goal, what you tried, what you expected, what happened, and the one specific thing you need.
Add links or the exact error text. Ask in the team channel rather than a private message when the answer could help others. Agree with your team on a : for example, 30 to 60 minutes of trying on your own first. Shorten it when you are blocked by access or knowledge only someone else has.
Common trapeither staying stuck for a day to look independent, or sending "hi, are you free?" and waiting before saying what you need.
A question to check yourself, an AI practice session and 2 cheat sheet entries come when you add the roadmap to your account. Add it
Resources for this stage
Start with· follow one of these
- GuideFreeHow to Ask Good Questions (Julia Evans)
Julia Evans · Beginner
A fifteen-minute read that changes how you ask for help from day one
- BookPaidThe Missing README: A Guide for the New Software Engineer
Chris Riccomini and Dmitriy Ryaboy (No Starch Press) · Beginner · $29.99 print, $23.99 ebook
The chapters on getting to competence and working with code match these two weeks closely