On Asking Better Questions

The Question Behind the Question

Most stakeholders don't tell you what they need — they tell you what they think they want. The job of a BA is to find the underlying need.

I've learned to always ask: "What problem does this solve?"

Why This Matters

Requirements that start with solutions instead of problems lead to:

• Scope creep (endless feature additions)
• Misaligned expectations
• Rework after delivery

Better Questions I Use

Instead of asking "What features do you need?", I ask:

1. "Walk me through your last difficult case" — reveals real pain points
2. "What happens when this goes wrong?" — uncovers edge cases
3. "Who else does this affect?" — identifies missing stakeholders
4. "How do you measure success today?" — defines acceptance criteria

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The right question unlocks the real requirement.