Working with Engineers
Last updated
Last updated
Working with engineers involves collaborating with highly technical individuals to translate product requirements into a functional product. This requires the Product Manager to effectively communicate the product strategy, business objectives, and user needs to the engineering team. While the Product Manager doesn't need to be highly technical themselves, they should have a basic understanding of the technology stack and be able to ask the right questions to ensure the proposed solutions are technologically sound. The Product Manager should also foster an environment of trust and respect, valuing the input of the engineers and relying on their expertise to guide the technical aspects of product development.
Imagine you're a Product Manager at a social media company, like Twitter. You're working on a new feature that allows users to customize their feed. Your initial proposal involves a complex machine learning algorithm that would predict and prioritize the content that users would like to see. However, during a meeting with the engineering team, the lead engineer expresses concerns about the feasibility of implementing such a complex algorithm within the proposed timeline. They suggest a simpler solution that involves allowing users to manually select the topics they're interested in.
As a Product Manager, you might initially be disappointed about the need to simplify your vision. However, you recognize the importance of the engineer's input and their expertise in what is technically feasible. You ask questions to understand the limitations and the proposed alternative solution. After understanding the trade-offs, you agree to adjust the feature to align with the engineer's suggestion. You appreciate the engineer's proactive communication and problem-solving approach, and you make a note to involve the engineering team earlier in the process in the future to ensure technical feasibility is considered from the start.
Balancing the vision of the product with the technical feasibility can be challenging. It's also important to foster a collaborative environment where engineers feel their input is valued and they are involved in the decision-making process. Communication can also be a challenge, especially if the Product Manager and the engineers do not have a shared understanding of the product goals and technical constraints.
Reflect on a recent interaction you had with an engineer, technical team member, or someone talking about something that you didn’t understand fully. What was the situation? How did you communicate your ideas and listen to their input? What went well and what could be improved?
Effective communication with technical teams [ | ]
Building trust with engineers [ | ]
Understanding technical constraints in product development. [ | ]