This is why I have always advocated for getting my software engineers away from code occasionally and out into the field into whatever domain in which we're working.

We need to experience and see how the world actually works, the pain people are actually experiencing. I deeply believe we build better software that way.

Have a software engineer working for a mining company that's a good candidate to drag out into the field for a bit? Get 'em out there, encourage them to ask tons of questions.

Real example: my wife is a nurse who works for an insurance company to coordinate care for injured workers to help maximize their recoveries. I hear a ton about the stuff she has to do, and just having her tell me about how things work has given me a glut of ideas of how I could help her bypass all the administrivia so she can focus on helping the folks she's really passionate about helping. Wouldn't have had any idea about any of this, otherwise. Unfortunately for her, I don't work for her company so can do nothing about it, but the ideas!

> We need to experience and see how the world actually works, the pain people are actually experiencing. I deeply believe we build better software that way.

90% of the time when you really break down the "real" problems. You learned they aren't gon a be fixed by fucking software.