The best place to begin is at the beginning. Before a developer can start coding, they must know what the goal of the program is. What is the purpose of the application? Without a clear understanding of the problem that they are attempting to solve, it can be difficult to get started. At the very least, it is ill-advised to begin without some kind of plan.

Have you ever started a craft project without any objective in mind? How did you know what it was you were making? Did the project turn out well? If it did, you more than likely picked a direction at some point and set out to achieve a goal. You may have even had to start over or make adjustments along the way in order to complete the project.

Now, imagine starting the same craft project with the desired result defined ahead of time. Perhaps you wanted to make a drawing. Maybe you developed a set of plans. It isn't until a clear understanding is achieved before you start the physical act of beginning the project. In this example, the likelihood of success is much greater. The chance for stumbling blocks along the way are minimized.

Does this mean that all questions need to be asked ahead of time? Should all answers be obtained before you begin? Certainly not. Sometimes just a cursory understanding of a problem is enough to get started. But, the clearer the objectives, the better the likelihood of developing the proper solution.