The Rubber Duck Method for Debugging [Technique Tuesdays]

Also very useful when it comes to algorithm design and your interviews

Sep 13, 2022

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You’ve been stuck at a problem for a while,

No matter what you do, you can’t debug the code.

There are more print statements in your code than there are gold chains in a rap video.

So what do you do? Call it quits, listen to the Computer Science nerds, and use a debugger?

Of course not. I would never suggest such heresy to you.

Enter the almighty rubber duck. Possibly one of the most powerful tools in a developer’s arsenal. It will you a lot in writing code throughout your career. Done right, it can be an amazing tool for your interviews as well. No, I’m not making this up. You’ll see.

Key Highlights

What is the Rubber Duck Method- The rubber duck method is a method for debugging your code. It helps both with logical and runtime errors (most good IDEs will help you fix syntax errors easily). It relies on a simple premise- as you walk through your thoughts and code, you will automatically spot a lot of the errors that are causing the bug.
How it works- Buy a rubber duck. Anytime you have an error that you start having, start explaining the error to Rubber Duck. Explain what the error is, what line is causing it, what happened prior to that point etc. Don’t forget to explain why you took certain steps/implemented certain procedures. 99 times out of 100, you will find the fix. Remember to speak to the duck OUT LOUD. It’s a rubber duck. It can’t communicate with you telepathically.
Why it works- When we speak we force ourselves to articulate why we did things one way over another. Our minds will naturally start forming connections and lead to insights. Speaking out loud is especially useful because when you’re just thinking to yourself- your mind will make a lot of leaps. Speaking out loud will stop your brain from making those leaps. This is also why the recommendation for proofreading any manuscript is to read it out loud. You’d be shocked at how many more errors you catch compared to just reading it silently.
In your interviews- In your Leetcode style interviews, you will probably not get to run your code and debug it. But a variant of this technique will help you a lot. Treat your interviewer as the rubber duck. Start speaking out your thoughts and processes out as soon you hear the problem. If you’re stuck in a place, take a step back and describe where you are stuck .If things worked in an ideal situation, what would that look like? What do you need to do to convert your current situation to that ideal? You’ll be surprised how quickly you will find your answers. And your interviewer will be impressed by your communication skill.

This technique (especially in the interview context) requires a strong foundation based on knowledge of ideas and experience implementing these ideas. This is what will allow your brain to become much better at making connections as you talk through this. The best way is to show up regularly and follow the plans. For extra boosted results- make sure you read this post on mastering skills and this one on Microsoft’s research into what makes great software engineers.

To those of you that want to learn more about this technique, I’m linking a video below. One glance through the comments will show you how effective this technique is.

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