Product

Why and what for are two big questions that give meaning to what we do. It’s not merely about execution—the real game is solving real human problems and empowering people to grow and evolve.

As engineers we must help answer many of the unknowns in a project: what are we going to do and how are we going to do it?

Don’t forget who feeds you

Technology serves companies in two ways: as the main revenue‑generating asset, or as a support for the core business. Either way, technology serves a purpose, and as engineers we should understand it.

Sometimes you’ll be lucky enough to meet your users, speak with them regularly, and discuss the product’s future together. Other times—especially for commercial products—access is harder, and you’ll rely on surveys, interviews, or metrics. In any case, don’t lose sight of what brings money into the company. Rowing in that direction increases your odds of delivering value and building a reputation that later helps you grow.

Never forget where the money is.

Measure what matters

John Doerr’s Measure What Matters teaches how to define OKRs that drive growth and success. When we start using analytics tools, it’s common to measure too much—without purpose and, worse, without control.

Every metric needs an objective and a life cycle. Create it with a purpose, analyze it for a period of time, and retire it when it’s no longer useful.

Talk with product and design to identify needs for new metrics. Meet with them to review what they’re exploring and analyze results together to see what UI or flow changes could improve the overall experience.

There are also evergreen metrics we should always track—failed backend requests, user demographics, page views, etc. The amount depends on context. You’ll need less for an internal tool than for a public app.