Sometimes, a technical fix isn’t even needed-rather, the person just needs a second set of eyes to point out a solution. People get busy and stressed with work, easily overlooking simple steps and disrupting the workflow. Take a step back and ask, “What is the task you want to accomplish?” This can clear up a lot of tech confusion. ‘What task are you trying to accomplish?’ It also helps me explain to them how technology can help them reach their goals. This approach uncovers their specific challenges and enables me to understand which types of technologies would best fit their needs. Then, I’d delve into their concerns about adopting new technology.

‘What concerns do you have about adopting new technology?’įirst, I would ask them to identify their business frustrations and pain points. By understanding their goals, you can tailor a technology solution that aligns with their specific need(s), whether that’s increasing efficiency, reducing costs, improving communication or enhancing the customer experience. You need to learn the client’s specific needs and requirements from the technical solution. Therefore, a helpful question to ask is simply, “What will make your life easier?” The answer to this question will ensure you’re building business-critical solutions rather than wasting time on features that aren’t really addressing the customer’s pain points. ‘What will make your life easier?’Ī good philosophy to follow is to give the customer everything they need and nothing they don’t. The one question I ask is, “What problem are you experiencing right now?” Once the problem-market fit is identified, we can narrow down the technical requirements to achieve a value-add solution, which in turn generates a truly positive customer experience. Sometimes the most impactful insights can come from the simplest of questions. ‘What problem are you experiencing right now?’ Nihinlola Adeyemi, ErrandPay Limited 8. A domain expert in the industry who understands tech is important to bridge the gap. Having someone in this role will help the client relate their needs to the tech team, which will give the team a better understanding of the value they need to deliver for the client. ‘Have you considered bringing in a business analyst or product owner?’Ī good question to ask a non-industry client is whether they have considered hiring a business analyst or a product owner.

Francisco Diazluna, Producer’s National 7. We don’t provide a solution and then discuss the problem it should be the other way around. If we expect non-tech professionals to “speak tech,” we are in essence asking them to provide a technical solution, not define a business problem-it’s the proverbial putting the cart before the horse. ‘Define your problem in business terms.’Īll problems can be communicated in business terms, and that is precisely what we want.

Let them walk you through their idea, and then you can (in your head) translate that into a technical system. Simply ask them what they want their systems to do, in their own words. Posing this question can help both parties zero in on shortcomings in both processes and outcomes, making it easier to map those shortcomings to a tech-based solution. I like to ask, “Why have you chosen to explore X tech at this time in particular?” I find this question helps non-tech business leaders articulate both the challenge they’re encountering and the urgency for a “better” solution. ‘Why is now the right time for this solution?’ We can then work with the engineering team to define the solutions they need. I like to reframe their thinking by asking them to clearly define their problem, ideally with clear examples. Many of our less tech-inclined peers will counterintuitively focus on the solution as a way to explain the technical problem they are asking the engineering team to solve. ‘Can you share clear examples of the issue?’

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