I often use the archeology analogy to describe my work to others. I like how you become familiar with your predecessors and their strategies for solving problem

I often use the archeology analogy to describe my work to others. I like how you become familiar with your predecessors and their strategies for solving problems. It's a way of getting to know them even if you never actually get a chance to meet them. Some of the best parts: 1. Trying something totally new only to realize that one of your predecessors has attempted to do it before. Bonus points if you can solve it this time around. 2. Digging around and realizing that your predecessor was in fact yourself. 3. Randomly encountering one of your predecessors in real life and becoming instant friends while reminiscing about old times. ;-)