When do you ask for help? This is a difficult question to answer for software engineers, regardless of their skill level. As a manager I notice this paradox: when I onboard a new team member I'm always adamant that they should reach out for help if they get stuck, yet at the same time I expect them to also not immediately shout for help and try to figure things out on their own for a bit. Daniel Roy Greenfeld proposes a "thirty minute rule" where "if anyone gets stuck on something for more than 30 minutes, they should ask for help"¹. I think this strikes a nice balance, though there's another little paradox within that of how to define "stuck". More often than not what a developer is experiencing is very minute progress, so not technically stuck, but also not making normal progress either.

Ask For Help More. People are happy to help and like you more when they have helped you. Don’t worry about showing weakness; you are getting something far more valuable in return. ²