Hi Leonid, Great article! This topic resonates deeply as identifying what the problem is also such a fundamental aspect of the business analyst role. Just to illustrate, requirements engineering is about identifying the client real needs - not jumping straight to what they think the solution will be. And negotiating is about helping the other side (no the opponent!) understand and express their needs - not to mention identifying and uttering our own needs. I really enjoyed reading this post, thank you! Cheers Anne.