Definition of Product engineering is Innovating, Designing, Developing, Testing, Deploying and Maintaining a product. It overlaps multiple areas of company’s operations. Therefore, Product engineering disciple requires an individual to be skilled in various aspects of product.
Below picture provides key domains in which a Product Engineer (PE) should be skilled (or understand them).
Let us break down scope of a PE:
Technology: Most PEs are from technology background. An individual should have deeper understanding of the scope, limitations of each technology. They should be able to compare compeiting technologies and identify alternatives.
Functional: Functional knowledge helps PE to define features of the system. Understand expectation from the product. PEs should extend themselves and try to understand the non-functional requirements. This will help to improve the product by reducing the friction.
Commercial: There are various factors which leads to adoption or continuation of product in the market. It may be prices, competition or margins. PE need to understand these and their impact. This will help them to be agile and respond to market faster.
Strategic: Ability of the product to compete in the market requires it to have a competitive advantage in the market. PE needs to continously improve this advantage with the help of strategic innovation. It should be aligned to company’s strength in the market or expand the oppurtunities.
In Summary
All technologists cannot be Product engineers. It requires a acumen in working in cross-functional set-up with empathy for customer, passion to convert Ideas to reality and eye for details to identify oppurtunities where none exist.