To write is to rubber duck

I was presented with an architectural problem, and couldn’t really think clearly on what my options are. As I’m experimenting with my Note-writing system, I started to pour down my thoughts into my daily log. To my surprise, after writing for roughly 1 hour, I progressed really well and got down into a solution. This revelation reminds me of the experience that I got from rubber ducking debugging.

Perhaps, one reason I felt stuck is because there are too many variables I’m playing in my head when I was presented with the architectural problem. I was hitting my Working memory limits. By writing them down, it’s as if I have more working memory to play with. Writing makes thinking possible.

The note that I took is not at all a tidy writing. It’s my running thought that has been presented in text format. It’s very similar to what I’m doing when I practice free writing. These really messy notes are then sanitised into an ADR.

Backlinks

• Compare technical solution with business language
  • I was designing a technical solution (opens new window), and I couldn’t weigh the options effectively by myself. To write is to rubber duck is really helpful, but it wasn’t enough for me to weigh the options I have come up with. Normally in this situation, I would grab my colleague and start to brainstorm.
• Writing out loud helps resume flow
  • Not only I discovered that just writing out loud in my daily log is good for self-brainstorming (To write is to rubber duck), I also found that I could easily context switch, and resume my flow once I’ve played with her. I could download all of my previously saved working memory back, which is my notes, and start working again.