Personally, I don't view "wrote a bunch of code based on an incorrect assumption" as "damage." At worst, you have to revert to what you started with and rewrite

Personally, I don't view "wrote a bunch of code based on an incorrect assumption" as "damage." At worst, you have to revert to what you started with and rewrite it. What were you going to be doing in that time anyway? Basically, when I hit a roadblock that I can't get around by working on something else while I wait for clarification, my process is as follows: 1. List my options. 2. Pick the best one. 3. Send an email to my boss outlining the possible options, and note that I've picked what I think is the best possible option. 4. Continue coding and know that I might have to rewrite that feature if my assumption was incorrect. If you're right, great - it wasn't a roadblock. If you're wrong, you modify or rewrite... which isn't too big of a deal, as you would have been picking your belly button lint while waiting for an answer anyway.