Don’t Just Ask Questions. Find Answers.

On a recent call, someone raised a question about whether we were storing a certain type of data with enough precision. They’d seen an error and suspected our current schema might not support the full range of values our platform—or an upstream system—allows.

It was a solid question. But what happened next is what struck me.

Instead of pulling up a concrete example, checking the data, or tracing how it was handled in the system, the discussion veered into assumptions. A few folks made guesses based on what they thought the limits were. One person dismissed it as “probably just test data” or “not real.”

And then they moved on.

(Okay—I stopped them.)

Here’s the thing: raising a question is just the start. But if we stop there—if we don’t dig in and find the answer—we’re not really solving anything. We’re just deferring responsibility.

When something seems off, the most helpful thing you can do isn’t just to ask “Is this right?”

It’s to go look. Find an example. Reproduce it. Pull up the record. Inspect the data type. Prove or disprove your hunch. Then bring your findings back to the team so you can make a real decision.

Or—if someone asks the question on a call—dig into it right there. Investigating things in the moment not only helps move the work forward, it often teaches others how to investigate. Along the way, people learn more about the system, discover new tools, and pick up techniques for chasing down issues.

This doesn’t mean going it alone or assuming every problem is yours to solve in isolation. But it does mean being proactive. Owning the next step. If you’re unsure how to investigate something, say so—and ask for help doing that. But don’t let the moment pass with a shrug and a question mark.

Also: don’t dismiss data that doesn’t look “real.” What seems absurd in one context might be normal in another—especially when you’re working across currencies, regions, or systems with different assumptions. If your software is global, your thinking has to be too.

Here’s what I try to model, and what I hope my teams take away:

Don’t just ask questions. Find answers.

That’s how we build clarity, reduce churn, and earn trust.