Seven things that changed how I think
These aren’t lessons in the motivational sense. They’re just the specific ideas I’ve had to actually change my mind about since becoming a Business Analyst.
01
Ask before solving
I've become much more careful about jumping straight to a solution. Sometimes the most valuable thing you can do at the start of a problem is ask one more question instead of proposing one more idea.
02
Clarity is a skill
A complicated problem doesn't necessarily need a complicated explanation. A big part of my job is taking something messy and making it understandable enough that everyone in the room is actually talking about the same thing.
03
Requirements aren't static
What starts as a simple requirement can change completely once you speak to the people who actually use the system. I've learned to treat requirements as something to explore, not just something to document.
04
Stakeholders think differently
Different people can look at the exact same product and genuinely see different problems. Learning to hold several of those perspectives at once, instead of picking the loudest one, has been one of the most useful parts of the role.
05
Details matter
Small gaps in a requirement become expensive later. Thinking through edge cases, and being specific about what "done" actually means, has changed how I approach almost everything.
06
Technology needs context
Coming from Computer Science, my instinct is to reach for a technical answer. Business Analysis has taught me to first check whether technology is the right answer at all.
07
Good products start with good questions
I've started valuing questions almost as much as answers. The quality of what gets built is usually limited by the quality of what got asked at the beginning.
The first version of a requirement is rarely the final version of the problem. The more questions you ask, the more you discover.