I think what you don't understand in my post is that I am saying POs should grasp those things. I just don't see the reasoning behind hiring someone who is non

I think what you don't understand in my post is that I am saying POs should grasp those things. I just don't see the reasoning behind hiring someone who is non-technical for such a position. And the answer to "why should they" is precisely because they can then understand the development side better and these types of problems are avoided. It allows them to make more informed decisions. Basically, why should they not?