Previously, I wrote about how Software Engineering is a Learning Process where we aim to understand the business domain for which we design software. But why is it important? There are several benefits to understanding the business domain.
User Empathy
When we understand the terminology and rules in the space, we can better understand the users of our software. Conversations are smoother, and it becomes easier to determine user needs.
Requirement Validation
When domain experts provide a requirement, a developer’s knowledge offers a second look at the problem and can catch mismatches early in the process. Users often only know what they want when they see it, and the dev’s expertise can anticipate the need.
Creating Great Solutions
Great solutions come from solving difficult problems. By understanding the domain’s deeper intricacies, software engineers can identify those difficult problems and find those brilliant solutions.
Reduce Uncertainty
Familiarity with the business domain closes the gap on project uncertainty. Uncertainty leads to project estimation errors because engineers cannot make feature development decisions.
Issue prioritization
Similar to reducing uncertainty, domain knowledge helps development teams prioritize enhancements and bug fixes.
Long-Term Vision
Joel Spolsky once said good software takes ten years to build. Understanding the domain gives us a long-term view of where the business is going.