- At the heart of any productive tech team are two pillars that work in tandem: Engineering and Product.
- The fastest, most productive teams are ones where there is a clear leader of each, a shared understanding of their individual and combined roles, and a system for co-ordinating at the intersection.
Here at Really Good Software, we deal primarily with what happens in the blue section and the purple section - generally we leave Product-Only duties (Research & Strategy) as the responsibility of the company we’re working with.
The Map
Product focuses on determining what to build. It involves understanding user needs, market demands, and business goals to define and prioritize features. Product managers and designers work to create a vision for the software, develop user stories, and ensure the team is building something valuable and viable. They act as the bridge between users, stakeholders, and developers, translating business requirements into technical specifications.
Engineering concentrates on how to build the product. This pillar encompasses the technical implementation, including writing code, architecting systems, and ensuring software quality. Engineers are responsible for turning product requirements into functional, scalable, and maintainable software. They focus on technical decisions, code structure, performance optimization, and solving complex problems to deliver a robust product. While product defines the "what" and "why", engineering determines the "how" and brings the vision to life through technical expertise.
A Software System← Back to The RGS Codex