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"Product Guy" can translate to "non-technical" similar to "Business Analyst". 95% of the so-called Business Analysts I see (many from top schools and top firms

"Product Guy" can translate to "non-technical" similar to "Business Analyst". 95% of the so-called Business Analysts I see (many from top schools and top firms) really don't know anything about the businesses they're analyzing - they get the title by a lack of technical background. Of course the 5% of "Product Guys" and "Business Analysts" that are true talents are worth their weight in gold.

derefr 15y ago
> 95% of the so-called Business Analysts I see (many from top schools and top firms) really don't know anything about the businesses they're analyzing So, what are they paid to... do, then?
- notatoad 15y ago
  They aren't paid to do. They are paid to be. Somebody with hiring authority thinks that business analysts are needed, so business analysts get hired. As the article says, not all of them are useless. Some business analysts provide very valuable insight, and a manager who has come into contact with one of those will want to hire more of them. By the intangible nature of their value though, it can be hard to judge whether you've hired a good one or a leech.
- joshwa 15y ago
  So, what are they paid to... do, then? Thrash around trying to understand the business. Some will be more successful than others, depending on how smart they are. Some will gain a superficial understanding and claim to have mastered the domain, but let's just say there's a different kind of "OA5" person who often ends up in the job. Occasionally, if you're lucky, you'll find ons that has a vague clue about how to write requirements. Or design UI. Or that cares. (speaking as a Product Manager / UX Designer / Developer, not necessarily in that order)
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
ericd 15y ago
Yeah, that's kind of weird - to be a real product guy, you actually need to have an extremely broad base of technical knowledge, so that you can look at every part of the system and make intelligent decisions about them.
gujk 15y ago
The exact same analysis applies to developers.
- mathattack 15y ago
  Fair enough. :-) At least with developers, the progress can be more tangible and visible.

derefr 15y ago

> 95% of the so-called Business Analysts I see (many from top schools and top firms) really don't know anything about the businesses they're analyzing So, what are they paid to... do, then?

notatoad 15y ago
They aren't paid to do. They are paid to be. Somebody with hiring authority thinks that business analysts are needed, so business analysts get hired. As the article says, not all of them are useless. Some business analysts provide very valuable insight, and a manager who has come into contact with one of those will want to hire more of them. By the intangible nature of their value though, it can be hard to judge whether you've hired a good one or a leech.
joshwa 15y ago
So, what are they paid to... do, then? Thrash around trying to understand the business. Some will be more successful than others, depending on how smart they are. Some will gain a superficial understanding and claim to have mastered the domain, but let's just say there's a different kind of "OA5" person who often ends up in the job. Occasionally, if you're lucky, you'll find ons that has a vague clue about how to write requirements. Or design UI. Or that cares. (speaking as a Product Manager / UX Designer / Developer, not necessarily in that order)
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]

ericd 15y ago

Yeah, that's kind of weird - to be a real product guy, you actually need to have an extremely broad base of technical knowledge, so that you can look at every part of the system and make intelligent decisions about them.

gujk 15y ago

The exact same analysis applies to developers.

mathattack 15y ago
Fair enough. :-) At least with developers, the progress can be more tangible and visible.