[computerdork]

In my opinion, we're kind of just going in circles. Yes, we as engineers don't have a full understanding the "overall" and "high-level" value of the work we do. 100% true. But, our value is at a smaller level. Is the feature we created going to meet the project's (and the company's) goals or not? (as we understand them)

Requirements gathering has always been apart of software engineering, and actually, we're usually a necessary part of creating that spec. As we all know, a business person has a vague idea of what they want and they work with a technical person to see if this possible or even a good idea). We try to create the right solution given our understanding of the goals of the project and feature. The value again is smaller.

...Although, I do see your point, it can be easy as the technical expert to start giving opinions on things that aren't your responsibility (like marketing strategy). Maybe you've gotten hit by this before? (this is always touchy subject, but I've definitely been scapegoated for problems in the past, never fun). But still, typically, tend to find that the business person is ultimately in charge of the business decisions and I'm responsible for the technical ones.

[computerdork]

.. oh, and just to add one more thing, seems like the higher you go, the more of a business person you become anyways. Because for most decisions, the technical and business aspects go hand in hand - should we implement a new payment system in Europe? If we do, how long do we think it will take? Or is it even feasible? If we it is, will it work in all European countries? Will it be easy to maintain? The business person often has little idea on any technical estimates, but these are crucial to making an informed decision. We work together with them to come up with our best belief on whether the idea is worthwhile.

And agreed, it is a lot of responsibility, but again, it's only when an engineer rises in their company.