The importance of having a rubber ducky

The rubber duck analogy is often used in programming for debugging purposes. It consists of explaining your code out loud to a "rubber duck" (figure of speech, it could be anything or even another person). This method often highlights something wrong in your code and really helps to understand where's the bug.

I've been working on a solo project for almost a full year now and I can guarantee you that this technique is more useful than you think, and not just for programming. Here's how I usually apply it, sometimes even unconsciously.

Whenever I want to implement a new idea or fix a bug, I talk about it with friends. They become rubber ducks for a moment and listen to my crazy chain of thoughts. When I finish explaining the idea, I sort of run it back in my mind to make sure that I explained it correctly. That process almost always leads to a tweak or an adjustment to the idea that wasn't there before. The benefit of talking with friends is that they also contribute and challenge my ideas.

This is just on the design side of things. I find that reflecting alone on something doesn't always lead to the greatest idea. Communication and teamwork can really push that idea forward and turn it into a better version of itself. Even if you don't have someone who'll listen to you, use an object and speak your ideas out loud. You'll find that hearing yourself talk can sometimes reveal flaws in your design or unlock another idea that wasn't there before.