[scarface_74]

> Engineers are in a better position to understand what the customer wants and needs

As an engineer, I had no idea about:

- what the utility companies wanted when I was working for a SaaS company that printed and processed bills

- what the field service techs wanted when I was writing software for ruggedized windows ce devices

- what the railroad car owners or repairmen wanted when I was working for a company creating a SaaS (https://public.railinc.com/sites/default/files/documents/CRB...)

- I knew nothing about what the healthcare industry needed in the three SaaS companies I worked for including software for health care workers dealing with special needs kids

- the various “enterprises” mostly in the edtech or state and local government space in consulting.

[rezistik]

In all of your examples you're working at a company, ideally the person running the company had that domain expertise.

[ako]

No, the person running the company has expertise running companies. Customer understanding lies with designers, analysts, product owners, product management, but also sales: what is the pain we’re addressing, how can ensure the customers really understands the consequences of not addressing the pain, how can we ensure the customer sees our product is the best to address their pain.