Christine Jiang on YouTube · Open on YouTube
Professional practice: how analytics teams actually work · Competent · Lesson 30 of 99 · 9 min video, then about 2 hours of practice
Gathering requirements from stakeholders
After this you can run a short requirements conversation that turns a vague request into an agreed question, decision, audience, deadline and definition of done.
Why it matters
Most failed analyses fail at the start: the analyst answered the question as asked, not the question that mattered. Before any work, establish what decision the analysis will inform, who will make it, what they will do differently depending on the answer, and when they need it. Write it back to them in two sentences and get agreement. The trap is feeling that asking questions makes you look slow; it makes you look senior.
How to use this resource
A data hiring manager's four-part framework for requirements gathering, published in August 2026.