From Code Monkey to Product Engineer: The Evolution of Software Engineering in the Age of LLMs

The Sunk Cost of Hyper Specialization

Consider the typical job listings for software engineers, where expertise in specific frameworks or languages like Spring Boot or JavaScript are highly sought after, often requiring ridiculously extensive experience, in some cases even 15+ years.

It’s a fact that the field of software engineering has highly respected engineers who are masters of specific niches. However, this approach has overlooked the collaborative potential of engineers beyond technical realms. With the rise of code-generating Large Language Models (LLMs), this landscape is shifting, allowing for a change in the way we approach software engineering.

I’ve worked with many software product teams in the past and often times despite being a proficient master of C#, I often felt sidelined as my colleagues solely focused on this expertise, failing to recognize my capacity to make strategic decisions to meet customer requirements.

And because engineers are hired for their specific skills in a language or framework, they always get assigned to projects tailored to those specific abilities. Consequently, they often miss out on opportunities to explore technical domains beyond their current toolset.

The Language Agnostic Programmer

Most seasoned programmers would argue that software engineers are meant to be versatile across languages, and capable of transferring skills seamlessly. However, the industry’s practices have hindered this adaptability, with engineers rarely switching their tech stacks within a company. But with the emergence of code-generating tools, now it’s possible for engineers to fluidly navigate multiple languages and frameworks, presenting an opportunity for companies to leverage this flexibility by providing diverse opportunities to engineers that may not just be limited to code.

This shift in technology coincides with the insightful ideas of Viljami Kuosmanen who's spearheading a counterculture that elevates software engineers to a higher level of abstraction. He brings forth the concept of the Product Engineer, emphasizing a focus on being a builder foremost and a software engineer second. This role integrates “Product thinking” with technical expertise.

What is Product Thinking?

Product thinking is a skill that focuses on understanding what makes a product useful and valuable to users. It involves the journey from identifying users’ problems to creating solutions that bridge the gap between user needs and business goals.

Unlike design thinking, which is more user-centered, product thinking takes a holistic approach, considering not just the user, but going further to include markets, competitors, and business objectives into the mix. The core of product thinking lies in solving macro problems that enable builders to build great products.

This ultimately brings us to the Product Engineering Manifesto as outlined by Viljami Kuosmanen. I quote the manifesto below:

We consider ourselves Builders first, software engineers second.

Our craft combines Product Thinking with technical execution.

We concern ourselves with matters of design and quality in the technical, aesthetic, and business domains, taking an active part in each to shape the product and empower others to do the same.

We take great professional pride in our products as a whole and refuse to limit ourselves to technical-only roles in our teams.

Our shared goal is simply to build great products and recognize that achieving this requires builders who deeply understand the customer’s needs.

The full manifesto and the product engineer’s mindset can be found here .

The Role of Product Engineers

Product engineers are a unique breed of professionals who contribute to a product’s development with a holistic approach. They are not just limited to technical roles but also contribute to aesthetics, business decisions, user needs/intents, and strategy.

Product engineers excel in their technical domains, but they are not bogged down by the intricacies of code. Instead, they leverage Large Language Models (LLMs) to tame the nitty gritty technical aspects, allowing them to focus on the bigger picture.

Product engineers are language agnostic, they are comfortable with using a wide variety of languages, frameworks, and tools to solve business problems. They are full-stack developers on steroids.

Product engineers deeply understand the context of the product, its users, and the business, ensuring that every technical decision they make is grounded in this understanding.

This multifaceted approach makes product engineers a valuable asset in today’s competitive landscape, as they can ensure that a product is not just technically sound, but also strategically aligned with the business goals and user needs.

Onward and upwards

In computer science, it is well known that addressing challenges often involves adding an extra layer of abstraction to simplify complexities found at lower levels. Similarly, challenges found in building products will be solved by raising the level of abstraction at which software engineers work by making them product engineers, enabling them to approach challenges in innovative and collaborative ways, broadening their scope to address previously uncharted territories.