In the early days of the pandemic, many businesses were hanging on by a thread. Marketing budgets were cut, internal teams were downsized, and innovation stalled as leaders focused on simply staying afloat.
But while many struggled to adapt, some businesses didn’t just survive—they built something new from the ground up. And at the heart of those stories? Business Analysts.
Using BA Tools to Solve Real Problems
One case in point: A grassroots initiative called Rally the Locals, which grew from a passion project into a fully functioning platform supporting small businesses. What made the difference wasn’t flashy funding or elaborate tech stacks. It was the structured, intentional work of business analysis that took a blurry idea and transformed it into a scalable solution.
This story is just one example, but it illustrates a powerful truth: hiring the right Business Analyst (BA) can be the turning point for your project’s success.
Many organizations still see BAs as requirement gatherers or go-betweens for IT and business.
But the role is so much more strategic than that.
When leveraged correctly, Business Analysts identify and prioritize real stakeholder needs, turn qualitative insights into actionable strategies, keep teams focused on value—not just features—and bridge the gap between vision and execution.
BA Techniques Can Make the Difference
In the Rally the Locals example, the founder didn’t just start interviewing business owners and hoping it worked. He applied the right business analysts techniques like persona development, journey mapping, and stakeholder analysis to get actionable insights —without the formalities, but with all the impact.
These tools helped prioritize what really mattered: exposure, traction, and burnout relief for small business owners. That kind of clarity is what BAs bring to the table.
BAs Bring Different Stakeholders Together
In many organizations, your “stakeholders” aren’t conveniently gathered in one room. They’re spread across departments, geographies, and agendas. Some are external. Some are informal. Some are skeptical. A skilled Business Analyst is the person who brings order to that chaos.
In the Rally the Locals case, the stakeholders were small business owners, volunteer videographers, tech developers, and a growing audience—each with different priorities and bandwidth. Empathy mapping and user stories helped align those voices into a cohesive roadmap. In your organization, that same approach helps you cut through complexity and keep projects aligned with the people they’re meant to serve.
The takeaway?
A good Business Analyst doesn’t chase shiny objects. They focus on what will make the biggest impact—and help your team let go of everything else.
The best Business Analysts lead with empathy. Not just because it’s a nice-to-have, but because it’s essential for designing solutions that work in the real world.
In the story we’ve shared, it wasn’t technology or branding that drove adoption. It was trust. It was listening. It was acting on the honest, unfiltered feedback from real people under real pressure.
Your BA needs to be someone who not only understands systems and processes, but also cares deeply about the people behind them. That kind of empathy is what fuels innovation, builds stakeholder loyalty, and leads to products people actually use.
Whether you’re launching a new product, restructuring internal systems, or navigating rapid change, a strong BA can mean the difference between spinning your wheels and making real progress.
Here’s what to look for in the right Business Analyst:
- Curiosity – They ask the right questions—and the hard ones.
- Empathy – They don’t just gather data—they understand people.
- Clarity – They can take a messy idea and turn it into an actionable plan.
- Focus on Value – They prioritize impact over features.
- Flexibility – They thrive in ambiguity and adapt to change.
When those qualities are present, a Business Analyst doesn’t just contribute to the project—they drive it forward.
The Bottom Line
If you’re not using business analysis as a strategic function, you’re leaving value on the table. The right Business Analyst isn’t just there to document requirements. They’re there to help you define the problem, discover the solution, and deliver real results.
Whether you’re building from scratch or optimizing what already exists, now’s the time to bring in the clarity, empathy, and strategic thinking that only a skilled BA can offer.