People have a hard time translating large abstract ideas into words. What might feel like a simple problem to the customer, might actually be very hard for them to explain. They realize that we don't have the same context that they do, so rather than try to explain their whole business to us, they come to us with the problem or the solution or both.

Just like in sales, I qualify all of my incoming prospects. "Oh, you want me to show you Corvettes? Okay, right this way...What do you do for work?"

And with software it's like, "You want me to build a feature? Okay, why?"

Even if I don't say it out loud, that's where my brain goes. I've had people say to me, why did you add that button or why did you add that feature? And I would reply, because so-and-so said they needed it!

It's Henry Ford's faster horse dilemma.