> but in my experience junior workers often require bite-sized guidance in order to avoid going down rabbit holes. A 10-second conversation could easily save hours of head-banging-into-wall type work

This is why I more or less never go and "do my own research" before asking questions for hobby projects. I've gotten stuck in too many research rabbit holes and (hopefully) have learned my lesson. Ask first, then get mired in irrelevant details if the response to my bizarrely unique question is crickets.