What is a Product Engineer?

When I came across the term Product Engineer, it immediately resonated with me. In my roles with startups, my time has never been dedicated to writing code. My skill sets led me across the organization, frequently diving into design, product, customer success, and solution engineering.

In the past, I’ve described myself as Full-Stack but always felt it somewhat undersold my value. While it does capture my ability to work across the software stack, it doesn’t capture my ability to provide value elsewhere in the organization. This has been particularly beneficial in startups where the cost of specialization and siloing can outweigh any benefit. Being able to learn and adapt quickly is far more helpful.

This blending of responsibilities is why I identify with the Product Engineer title. As someone who loves to write the code that makes products come to life, I know it’s only a tiny part of the overall picture. Writing code is only one part of a Product Engineer’s toolkit.

Additional Reading

• The Product Minded Engineer by Gergely Orosz
• Rise of the Product Engineer by Paul Klein