Product vs. Engineering - the world's most pointless rivalry?

👀 I often see posts and articles debating "Why Product should lead Engineering" or "Why technical people should lead projects." And every time, I find myself thinking, nope, it's a collaborative effort!

😬 Let's be honest, without engineers, there's no product. But without product people, engineers will likely build something technically brilliant... that nobody actually needs (or wants).

📚 I read that engineers sometimes say product folks are "too pushy" and that product people sometimes say that engineers are "too slow" or "over-engineer" things. Both viewpoints are born from the same place; both sides care deeply about building a great product.

⚙️ If your Product Manager (PM) or Chief Product Officer (CPO) isn't pushing for timelines and updates, it's easy for delivery to stall (just like most side projects that get 90% done and never shipped, ask me how I know 🫣). On the flip side, if Product runs the show unchecked, things may ship fast, but at the cost of long-term maintainability and scalability.

💡That's why the answer isn't about one team "leading" the other, it's about collaboration, patience, and mutual understanding. There's no room for silos in product development. You win, or lose, as a team. 🏆

👥 I feel incredibly lucky to work in a truly collaborative environment. Our CPO pushes for delivery but also gets that stuff happens. Our CTO and Head of Engineering are focused on building things the right way so we can scale sustainably. And best of all, we've got engineers who understand product, and product managers who understand engineering.

🪄 That's the magic. ✨