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A — Ask

Ask is the second step of The RAMP Method. It's about asking questions early and often, without friction or fear.

Why Ask Matters​

The biggest time waste in onboarding is struggling in silence.

Developers often:

  • Spend hours stuck on something that takes 2 minutes to explain
  • Fear looking "dumb" by asking basic questions
  • Don't want to interrupt busy teammates
  • Assume they should "figure it out themselves"

The result? Days lost to problems that could be solved in minutes.

The 30-Minute Rule​

If you're stuck for more than 30 minutes, ask for help.

This isn't a sign of weakness—it's efficient. Every minute you spend stuck is a minute not spent learning or contributing.

What to Ask About​

Context That Isn't in the Code​

Code tells you what, not why:

You Can SeeYou Can't See (Ask About)
There's a legacyUtils.ts fileWhy was it kept? Can I refactor it?
The API uses pollingWhy not WebSockets? Historical reason?
Tests are sparse in this moduleIs that intentional? Should I add them?
There's a TODO commentIs anyone working on this?

Historical Decisions​

  • "Why was the authentication implemented this way?"
  • "What alternatives were considered for the caching layer?"
  • "Is there a reason this module is separate from the others?"

Current Practices​

  • "What's the process for deploying to production?"
  • "How do you handle database migrations?"
  • "What should I do when I find a bug?"

Implicit Knowledge​

  • "Who should I ask about the billing system?"
  • "What are the unwritten rules for code review?"
  • "What topics are controversial on the team?"

How to Ask Good Questions​

1. Show What You've Tried​

Bad: "How does authentication work?"

Good: "I traced the auth flow from the login page to the /api/login endpoint, but I'm confused about how the JWT is validated. I looked at authMiddleware.ts but can't find where the secret is configured. Can you point me in the right direction?"

2. Be Specific​

Bad: "I'm confused about the codebase."

Good: "I'm trying to add a new API endpoint. I see the pattern in usersRouter.ts but I'm unsure where to add the business logic. Should it go in a service file?"

3. Propose an Answer​

Bad: "Should I use approach A or B?"

Good: "I'm thinking of using approach A because of X and Y. Does that align with how the team usually does it, or am I missing something?"

Who to Ask​

Different Questions, Different People​

Question TypeWho to Ask
"How does X work?"Ramp, then teammates
"Why was X done this way?"Original author (use git blame)
"What's the process for X?"Your onboarding buddy or manager
"Is this approach okay?"Code reviewer or tech lead

Using Git to Find the Right Person​

# Who wrote this code?
git blame src/auth/login.ts

# Who has changed this file most?
git shortlog -sn src/auth/login.ts

Overcoming Ask Anxiety​

Fear: "I'll look dumb"​

Reality: Everyone was new once. Good teams appreciate questions—they surface documentation gaps and prevent mistakes.

Fear: "I'm interrupting"​

Reality: A 5-minute answer saves hours of your time. Most seniors prefer quick questions to reviewing PRs with fundamental misunderstandings.

Fear: "I should figure it out myself"​

Reality: There's a difference between productive struggle (learning) and unproductive struggle (wasting time). After 30 minutes, you're usually in unproductive territory.

Asking Without Interrupting: Ramp​

The biggest barrier to asking is social friction. You don't want to interrupt busy teammates with basic questions.

Ramp solves this:

# Ask questions in natural language
ramp voice
> "How does the caching layer work?"
> "Where is the payment processing handled?"
> "What's the pattern for adding new API endpoints?"

Benefits:

  • 24/7 availability — Ask at midnight, get instant answers
  • No judgment — Ask "dumb" questions freely
  • Context-aware — Understands your specific codebase
  • Saves senior time — They focus on high-value conversations

Ask Checklist​

When ramping up, make sure you've asked about:

  • Architecture overview — How do components connect?
  • Development workflow — How do I run, test, deploy?
  • Code conventions — What's the "right way" here?
  • Historical context — Why was it built this way?
  • Who knows what — Who's the expert on each area?
  • Common pitfalls — What should I avoid?

After Ask​

Once you've gathered context through asking, move to the next step: Map. Use what you've learned to build mental models of the system.

Ready to ask questions without friction? Try Ramp free →