Yes/No Question

Simple and easy debugging technique you can use for anything

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Here’s a relatively simple but effective troubleshooting technique: whenever faced with a complex problem, start breaking it down by asking straightforward yes or no questions.

Here’s a contrived example: imagine you’re working on a feature that’s supposed to integrate with an external API, but it’s acting up. Is the API key correct? Yes. Is the network connection stable? Yes. Is this the right API endpoint? Yes. Are the correct headers passed through? No.

This method isn’t just about solving problems; it’s a mindset shift. You narrow your focus from an overwhelming array of possibilities to specific areas. You feel like you make tangible progress towards solving a problem by continually answering the questions and narrowing the problem down further. As a result, you will have a list of bite-sized, manageable tasks by the end of the exercise.

The beauty of this method is that it can applied to any problem.

Happy troubleshooting!