Ask More. Build Better. Burn Out Less.

Hi everyone, I’m Michelle Sandford, Developer Engagement Lead for Microsoft. Thanks for being here at NDC Sydney.

This talk is called ‘Ask More. Build Better. Burn Out Less.’ and it’s based on a simple idea: the fastest teams are not the ones that type the most, they’re the ones that reduce uncertainty early.

When we ask better questions, we write less throwaway code, we avoid rework, and we make decisions that hold up three months from now. That is the ‘build better’ part.

And the ‘burn out less’ part is just as practical. A lot of burnout is not caused by the work itself, it’s caused by constant ambiguity, context switching, and feeling like you’re always behind. Clear questions create clear boundaries, clearer plans, and fewer 2 a.m. surprises.

So today we’ll focus on concrete tactics: what to ask, when to ask it, and how to ask in a way that improves quality without slowing you down.

Let’s get into it.