Well, my problem is usually that one of us has a particular data structure or sequence of steps in mind, and it can be hard to explain the exact reasoning for i

Well, my problem is usually that one of us has a particular data structure or sequence of steps in mind, and it can be hard to explain the exact reasoning for it sometimes. Things are a bit better when you have a nice whiteboard to draw on. I always feel like the guy at the keyboard ends up having to write most of the real code, because if the other programmer has an idea they either have to switch spaces or he has to painstakingly dictate what he wants. Whoever isn't at the keyboard then tends to feel like he's not really contributing except to pick out occasional syntax errors and try to follow along with what's being written. Maybe it works for some people, but I prefer working alone.