"Don't assume, ask."

I got this short but incredibly powerful advice from the CTO at the first company I worked for, some nine years ago.

I had found myself amidst a blunder where I produced work different from what was expected because I failed to ask questions when needed.

I was at the start of my career and was afraid that asking too many questions would negatively impact how others, especially higher-ups in the company, would perceive me.

So, I did what seemed like the best choice to me:

I filled the gaps in my understanding with assumptions.

Now, while this might work to a fair extent as you gain experience and learn to predict well, it's always better to just ask and clarify what you don't know.

And I had a taste of this experience years later when one of the junior members of my team did the same. Except this time, I was on the other end.

He nodded along when we discussed the task, didn't clarify his doubts with me, assumed parts of the requirement, and then came up with a result a week later that was vastly different from what we needed to do.

Had he probed me to clear his understanding before he started working on the task, we would've been able to correct our course before it was too late.

Asking questions can be difficult. You might be afraid that asking questions will make you seem less smart or lagging. Or, you might've asked questions in the past, and it didn't go well.

But asking is miles better than assuming in most cases because it saves both your and other people's time. You're less likely to be out of sync.

So, the next time you're in doubt, instead of assuming what you don't know, ask someone who can help you.

It might initially seem uncomfortable, but it'll get better over time.

In the last two weeks, I added three more app offers, two summaries, and one member-only guide for Hulry Plus members.

If you're still considering the membership, now is a good time to become a member.

You'll not only get resources that help you, but you'll also be directly supporting my work on this newsletter and everywhere else.

Now, before you move on to the rest of this newsletter issue, here are a few words from: