It's difficult for non-engineers, and people who don't work closely with engineers, to understand what's going on when "engineering" is happening.
It's great that you highlight creativity in this post, and I'd like to know more. As a product lead from a UX background, I'm constantly working with engineers but I have very little insight into the cycles of problem solving that it takes to arrive at a solution, and it's not worth asking engineers to explain it to me because I don't want to be the dumb person in the room slowing them down, even though I'm very curious!
Engineering problem-solving is a lot like UX design. It’s never linear, and sometimes the simplest solutions require the most back-and-forth to uncover. It’s an iterative process with trial and error, where engineers have to balance constraints, brainstorm, debug, and refine.
They have to navigate technical limitations, optimize performance, keep the current functionality sane and working, and make trade-offs to align with product goals.
This process often leads to technical debt and creativity blocks, which can be setbacks. It’s always a good idea to align closely, keep adjusting the sprint intensity, and keeping an eye on the well-being of engineers outside of work. This can eventually improve decision-making, reduce tech debt, and lead to better outcomes.
It's difficult for non-engineers, and people who don't work closely with engineers, to understand what's going on when "engineering" is happening.
It's great that you highlight creativity in this post, and I'd like to know more. As a product lead from a UX background, I'm constantly working with engineers but I have very little insight into the cycles of problem solving that it takes to arrive at a solution, and it's not worth asking engineers to explain it to me because I don't want to be the dumb person in the room slowing them down, even though I'm very curious!
Thanks Mike! I’m glad it resonated with you.
Engineering problem-solving is a lot like UX design. It’s never linear, and sometimes the simplest solutions require the most back-and-forth to uncover. It’s an iterative process with trial and error, where engineers have to balance constraints, brainstorm, debug, and refine.
They have to navigate technical limitations, optimize performance, keep the current functionality sane and working, and make trade-offs to align with product goals.
This process often leads to technical debt and creativity blocks, which can be setbacks. It’s always a good idea to align closely, keep adjusting the sprint intensity, and keeping an eye on the well-being of engineers outside of work. This can eventually improve decision-making, reduce tech debt, and lead to better outcomes.