I recently changed my job and I am trying to figure out how the product works there so here is my strategy: 1. Knowing the actual purpose of the product(or sys

I recently changed my job and I am trying to figure out how the product works there so here is my strategy: 1. Knowing the actual purpose of the product(or system) is must. 2. Using the product yourself helps a lot. This gives you end-user perspective. 3. Reading the code in a context is far more effective. A context here could be a test case or a use case. More granular the scenario the better it is. 4. If you are not able to understand a piece of code, revisit it later and move on. In the meantime note the input and output of "that specific" code. Many times after your move on and read other parts one starts to connect the dots. 5. Never assume anything! Example: I do not know much of Linux kernel so lets say I want to know when I do "fopen" in C where (& how) does the kernel make entries in its own data structures.