NO SILVER BULLET Becoming a Product Engineer: First Steps
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Nov 26, 2025 Discover why software projects often lag in corporate settings compared to side hustles. Hear how developers are sometimes trapped in roles where they lack understanding of the bigger picture. Learn about the frustrating effects of incomplete specs and the 'golden cage' mentality hindering collaboration. Dive into practical techniques like Event Storming to enhance teamwork and communication. Plus, find out why engaging with product decisions can boost your career and how to break away from the 'coding monkey' mindset.
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From Hobby Projects To Corporate Shock
- Robert and Maciej started building projects together in high school and shipped popular hobby sites before university.
- They later dropped out and moved to regular jobs where the dynamics of receiving requirements from others felt shocking.
Why Work Slows Down In Teams
- Delivery speed drops in corporate teams because code must be maintained, shared and negotiated across people.
- Legacy systems and broader collaboration create overhead absent in solo side-projects.
The Golden Cage Problem
- Developers get siloed as 'coding monkeys' when companies optimize for maximizing coding time rather than shared understanding.
- That model produces work that looks productive but often delivers little user value.
