Developers VS Product Sense

#webdev #career #developers #software

(The original post)

Table of content

Intro
What is product sense interview about?
Why they struggle there?
Is it even an actual issue?
How to start your "workout"?
Summary

Intro

We are a small product company in the process of hiring developers. The idea was not only to hire people who can code but also those who can bring a deeper look at the product, not just the "It was like that on Figma" approach.

So we are trying to hire some devs. Many of them are really strong when it comes to technical stuff. Some of them are so good, I feel dumb 😐

But from what I’ve noticed, many devs have a problem with the last interview — the product sense interview.

Before we go further, I don’t think every single dev should have this skill — it’s about what we need and what I noticed across a few hiring processes.

What is product sense interview about?

Mostly, it focuses on how you see web apps and websites around you. It’s really not that complicated, as we are not forcing you to create some product strategy from scratch. It’s more about naming what you like in your favourite app, what you dislike, and how you would improve it. Doesn’t sound that bad, right?

Turns out differently, though. Many devs fail in the last stretch, and here I’d love to dive deeper into that.

Why they struggle there?

I guess there isn’t any easy answer for that. But from what I’ve noticed, many devs are really focused on the technical side of things. They love coding, and they love solving problems with code. But when it comes to thinking about the product as a whole, they often struggle to see the bigger picture.

Obviously, in bigger tech companies, it doesn’t have to be a problem. They are really good at what they do, and there are plenty of other people taking care of designing, planning, etc. In our case, it’s a little bit more complicated, as we are a small team and everyone needs to wear multiple hats.

Even in my example, as a Fullstack dev, I have to take care of Jira tickets, GitHub CI, or sometimes even participate in customer interviews.

Is it even an actual issue?

It depends 😜 Obviously, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve already been working for X years and have never bumped into this problem. Definitely, there is — and for quite some time there will be — a place for coders (we can argue about what AI will do here, but I don’t like to play magician, so 🤷‍♀️).

But if you would ever consider moving into management roles, you should start thinking more about the product. That doesn’t mean you have to think less about code.

Even if you don’t care about management and just want to write code, I think it may still help you to start training this muscle — it won’t hurt you.

And here I’ll try to quickly convince you why:

Bigger input to your team — If you can think about the product, you can bring more value to your team. You can suggest improvements, help with prioritization, or even just throw ideas. This will make you a more valuable team member and may open up new opportunities for you.
Growing inside your team — It obviously connects with the first point. The more you do beyond coding, the more valuable you become to your company — and the better your chances for a raise or avoiding layoffs.
Better ideas and execution of your side projects — To be honest, this is the most important one for me. I love working on my side projects, and I guess we all do. If you can think about the product, you can create something that people actually want to use and execute it better.

How to start your "workout"?

Just take a look around you. You certainly use many apps every single day. Look at them, think about what you like in them, and what annoys you. So right after saying “I hate this app”, add one more step and think why. Is it slow? Or maybe the UI is trash (what exactly in the UI pisses you off)?

I wouldn’t say it’s much, is it? And maybe it will even inspire you to create a great new side project — just because you noticed how bad the current one you use is.

Think about it as just a different set of problems to solve, with different tools. Now you’re not solving an algorithmic problem with code. Instead you’re trying to figure out how to make the UX better, within the technical limitations you have. It’s still the good old problem-solving we all love, just with different tools.

Summary

I want to add a final thought here. I highly recommend starting the "workout," as it’s really for free. Now, when the whole AI thing is happening, it won’t hurt. It may even help you gain a new advantage on the market or open up new possibilities for you.

Stay strong and be positive! 💪

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