Issue #1 - Welcome to BAsics Weekly (and why I’m doing this)

Hi everyone,

If you’re reading this, you’re part of the first edition of BAsics Weekly!

I’ve been a Business Analyst for a long time. I’ve seen projects succeed in Liverpool, fail in London, and get rescued in Manchester. But throughout all of it, I’ve noticed one thing: We overcomplicate the simple stuff.

I started posting guides on LinkedIn a few weeks ago just to share some notes. Then 70,000 people read one. Then 30,000 read another. It turns out, I’m not the only one who thinks the "BAsics" are being forgotten.

What is BAsics Weekly?

Every week, I’m going to take you behind the curtain.

• The Story: I’ll share a real-world project "horror story" (names changed to protect the guilty!) and the data behind why it went wrong.
• The Problem: I’ll explain the "Why" behind the methods I use.
• Mastering Business Analysis: I’ll prime you for the Big Training Guide that I’ll be dropping every Thursday at 08:30 AM. (or around that time, I have a child and a chihuahua that rule my life).

The Story: Documentation Gap

Take this week for example. I just dropped a guide on Requirement Articulation.

I once worked on a project where the elicitation phase was perfect. The stakeholders were happy, the SME was a dream, and Mitsy (my dog) could have understood the vision.

The Problem? The documentation was a mess.

We used the old way, 100-page Word document that nobody read. The developers ended up building a solution based on a guess, and the cost of rework was huge. Failing to document clearly can increase project costs by up to 100x if caught after the code is written.

That’s why this week’s training focuses on Process Architecture, turning those conversations into Blueprints. Live on Thursday at 8:30am (UK time)

Where we are going...

I’m also talking to recruiters and local schools like Lymm High about how we train the next generation. I want to build a pipeline of BAs who don’t just have a certificate, but can actually deliver on Day 1.

Finally, I'd love to eventually set up some in-person meetups. It would be great to have a get together at some point in the future so I'll be reaching out to see who's up for a bite to eat and a chin wag sometime.

Below are links to the previous guides I have written, you can also find them on the BAsics website which is also linked below.

Mastering Business Analysis

Mastering Business Analysis: Requirement Elicitation

Mastering Business Analysis: Requirement Articulation

Thanks for being here. Let’s get back to BAsics.

If you've got this far, follow or visit my site. BAsics

Cheers, Kev

PS,

If you're free on 1st March pop down to Lymm village. I'll be there for a couple of cocktails, some chilled jazz guitar from the Mere Morsels, at Runway Lounge. It's a free event so no need to RSVP or buy tickets but the link to the event is below for anyone interested.