> Writing code is not hard. Writing correct code is. Knowing what is correct in a setting with paying customers generally involves interacting with those customers.

  Invoice: $1000
  One bolt tightened: $1
  Knowing which bolt to tighten: $999

Bit of both probably. I've seen really awful code in my time, so would say "actually coding well" is indeed one of the hard parts.

But knowing what the real problem to be solved is, is indeed important. (Isn't that what sales is? Working with the customer to tease out the real thing they need solving?)

> (Isn't that what sales is? Working with the customer to tease out the real thing they need solving?)

For any product of any complexity you can can essentially never successfully delegate that process to a non-programmer.

Indeed you can not that often even trust that the client employee doing the asking knows what it is they need. Almost certainly someone in the organisation who was not in the meeting is better placed to tell you what is actually required.

This task needs an analyst; that analyst needs to have experience of writing meaningful code.