Being a Product-Minded Developer

In my experience with banking, I've come to appreciate my product owner comment that “not every issue related to the product is technical” and how it illuminated the significance of being a product-minded developer.

Product-minded developers, as per my interpretation, are not just individuals who code for the sake of completing tasks. Rather, they focus most of their energy on refining the product.

Key Characteristics of Product-Minded Developers

One of the fundamental traits of a product-minded developer is their penchant for collecting data relevant to the product. They ask diverse questions pertaining to the product, which allows them to understand the customer’s journey better. If there are competitors, they will attempt to accumulate data about them as well.

Based on the collected data, product-minded developers bring suggestions to the table. Hence, they try to provide you with features that your competitors might not offer technically, but you can present quickly. Any proposal that can make a difference contributes to the product.

Product-minded developers also excel in identifying edge-cases. They test the product from a user's perspective to deliver maximum value to the end-user. They can predict potential issues that the end-user might face, even during the product design phase

Product First, Then Technology

To really understand the logic of "product first, then technology", consider an Apple event when Steve Jobs was asked about java and the doc system. His response was insightful: "You need to start with the customer experience and then work back toward technology. You can’t start with the technology and then figure out where you’re going to sell it."

Consequently, technology should serve the product. Instead of implementing a popular technology for its own sake, a product-minded developer should be able to say, “I used X technology to enhance the scalability of feature Y in the product."

In conclusion, a product-minded developer holds a product-first approach. From data collection to decision-making, their focus is on enhancing the product. Above all, their main goal is to create a product that provides value to the user, keeping technological considerations secondary but still important. This mindset plays a vital role in developing successful, user-centric products.

You can subscribe in the meantime if you'd like to stay up to date and receive emails when new content is published!