There's a difference between writing code and building products. I learned this the hard way.
For years, I called myself a "developer" or "software engineer." I was obsessed with clean architecture, the latest frameworks, and elegant abstractions. But I was missing something important: none of that matters if the product doesn't ship.
The product engineer mindset
A product engineer is someone who thinks beyond the code. They care about the user, the business, and the outcome — not just the implementation. They ask "why are we building this?" before "how should we build this?"
This shift in thinking changed everything for me. Instead of building features because they were technically interesting, I started building features because they solved real problems.
Design + Engineering = Magic
The best product engineers I know can design. Not necessarily in Figma (though that helps), but they understand visual hierarchy, user flows, and what makes an interface feel good.
When you can design and code, you move faster. You don't wait for handoffs. You prototype in production. You iterate in real-time based on how things actually feel, not how they look in a mockup.
What product engineers do differently
- 1.They ship incrementally. Small changes, fast feedback, constant learning.
- 2.They talk to users. Not through product managers, but directly.
- 3.They care about metrics. What gets measured gets improved.
- 4.They simplify ruthlessly. The best feature is often no feature at all.
- 5.They own outcomes, not just outputs. Shipping code is the beginning, not the end.
Why I chose this path
At 18, I've realized that the most fulfilling work happens at the intersection of design, engineering, and product thinking. Building NeuroLab taught me this. It's not enough to write good code — you have to build something people actually want.
The world doesn't need more developers who can implement specs. It needs product engineers who can identify problems, design solutions, and ship them fast.
That's what I'm trying to be.
— Aine