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Skill Focus and Operative's Edge are both Insight bonuses, and therefore don't stack. It's nice to get two 1st level boosts in your chosen specialty, but it means that at 7th level EVERY operative is just as proficient with every skill as every other operative.
I know you still get the special way you use Trick Attack, and the 11th level ability from being a specialist (the 5th level bonus exploit is just a regular exploit any operative can take), but are you really a specialist if you aren't better at a skill than your peers?
I wonder if Skill Focus was meant to be an untyped bonus like it is in Pathfinder.
As Deadmanwalking mentioned, the exact level that Operative's Edge's bonus equals that of Skill Focus, Operatives gain the ability to always take 10 on any skill they have Skill Focus in. Regardless of circumstances. Which, for one thing, means that your specialization skills basically become auto-succeed for Trick Attacking against CR-appropriate enemies.
Share your math please.
I'm assuming CR-appropriate is at least your level.
So you'd need a bonus of 10+your level and the Take 10 gets 20+lvl.
-Assume full ranks.
-You'd need a +10 on top of ranks.
-+4 ability, +3 class, +3 Operative edge.
That's +10, but you fail then on any CR of higher than your level.
As Deadmanwalking mentioned, the exact level that Operative's Edge's bonus equals that of Skill Focus, Operatives gain the ability to always take 10 on any skill they have Skill Focus in. Regardless of circumstances. Which, for one thing, means that your specialization skills basically become auto-succeed for Trick Attacking against CR-appropriate enemies.
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Share your math please.
I'm assuming CR-appropriate is at least your level.
So you'd need a bonus of 10+your level and the Take 10 gets 20+lvl.
-Assume full ranks.
-You'd need a +10 on top of ranks.
-+4 ability, +3 class, +3 Operative edge.
That's +10, but you fail then on any CR of higher than your level.
Those that aren't Dex based also add a +4 for Trick Attack specifically. And that gets us to a Level +10 right there ignoring Ability Modifier (which will only add in most cases).
It's a tad bit harder on Dex based ones, admittedly...but let's be honest, pretty much all 7th level Operative will have at least Dex 18 for the +4, and that's a lowball Operative Dex, plus it'll likely go up as they level.
An Optimal Operative will likely have Dex 22 or so at 7th, and thus be able to target CR +2 foes with no chance of failure with Dex skills. By 13th, they're up to Dex 26 and +4 from Operative and can target CR +5 foes. And they can easily have even better than that in a particular non-Dex stat combined with the +4 bonus.
Racial bonuses can also upgrade this by quite a bit (not that that's necessary). Ysoki using Survival or Stealth, Halflings using Acrobatics or Stealth, Kasatha using Acrobatics, Lashunta using whatever skill they like...
And remember, you can always roll instead in the unlikely situation that your Take 10 doesn't get you there.
EDIT: Oh, and assuming CR appropriate equals your level is a bit of a mistake. CRs are calibrated a little differently so that a CR=Your Level encounter is tougher. Minions of any sort will usually be below that.
Skill Focus is an insight bonus because, rather than being mandatory on anyone who wants to excel at skills, that makes it an option for people without built-in insight bonuses to keep up.
Generally speaking, SF feats aren't for deepening your character's competence at their focus, but broadening it.
It's the same with the envoy and their class insight bonus.
Nope, check the text for Expertise on the Envoy. The Expertise dice you add to a selected skill is an Insight bonus. Skill Focus is an Insight bonus. But the text clearly states you can apply both.
"Beginning at 9th level, you have even greater expertise with
skills to which you can add your expertise die that you have also
selected with the Skill Focus feat." (p.61)
The bonuses don't stack, you just get the double-dice once per day to make up for the fact that your Expertise minimum is now the same bonus as Skill Focus.