Across many engineering teams, the role of the software engineer is evolving.
For years, engineering teams were largely structured around delivery. Engineers were responsible for building and shipping features, while product managers owned the problem definition and strategic direction. But that model is shifting.
Now, engineers are contributing beyond the code and thinking about user problems, product outcomes and business impact.
In walks the idea of the Product Engineer...
Rather than describing a new job, product engineering is about a broader shift in how engineering teams work and what modern engineering roles look like in practice. Here's all you need to know, from experienced engineers who've been there, done that, and got the Product Engineering t-shirt.
⭐️ Engineers are moving closer to product decisions
One of the biggest changes happening inside engineering teams is how early engineers are involved in product thinking. Traditionally, engineers were brought in once the solution had already been defined. Now, many teams are involving engineers much earlier in the process.
“The shift isn’t just about writing code anymore. Engineers are increasingly part of the conversation about what should be built and why.”
James Wright, Senior Software Engineer, Prolific
Engineers working in product-led teams are often expected to:
• Challenge assumptions about suggested solutions
• Contribute ideas based on technical understanding
• Help shape experiments and product hypotheses
• Think about the trade-offs between technical complexity and user value
In other words, engineering is becoming more influential upstream in product decisions.
⭐️ Product Engineers combine technical ability with product judgement
The engineers who are doing well tend to combine strong technical ability with an understanding of product context.
They are not simply asking “Can we build this?”
They are also asking:
• Should we build this?
• What user problem are we solving?
• Is this the most effective solution?
This blend of skills allows engineers to make better trade-offs and deliver work that creates real impact rather than just technical output.
⭐️ The cost of building the wrong thing is rising
Another major push in this product engineering shift is the rapid acceleration of development tools and AI. The ability to write code, prototype ideas and ship software has become dramatically faster. But this does bring in a new challenge. When building becomes cheaper & easier, the choice of deciding what is actually worth building is key.
“When building becomes cheap, the hard problem isn’t writing code. It’s knowing what to build, and for whom.”
Andy Norton, VP Engineering, Flipdish
This is why product awareness is becoming so important for engineers.
AI may accelerate development speed, but it increases the velue of showing good judgement.
⭐️ "Software Engineer” is becoming an incomplete job description
This one sounds a little dramatic but an insight we're seeing from engineering leaders is how role definitions themselves are changing. Some companies are discovering that hiring for “software engineers” is no longer enough to capture the skills they actually need.
“We kept searching for software engineers and wondering why they didn’t quite fit. Technically strong? Yes. But comfortable with ambiguity, ownership and shaping outcomes? Rarely.”
Craig Aspinall, Product Engineer, PortSwigger
This experience led them to rethink the role itself.
Instead of hiring just for technical delivery, we're seeing a lot of businesses shift to describing the role as Product Engineer.
This title shows expectations around:
• Ownership
• Autonomy
• Decision-making
• Product awareness
It also improved the quality of conversations with candidates during interview stages.
The title itself wasn’t the point. What matters is making the expectations super clear.
⭐️ Many teams already have Product Engineers, they just haven’t named them... yet.
Many businesses already have engineers working in this way. They just haven’t labelled the role.
In many teams, product-minded engineers naturally emerge as the people who:
• Ask the right questions
• Engage deeply with product managers
• Understand user behaviour
• Think about long-term system outcomes
Rather than hiring entirely new roles, and shaking up the whole function, many engineering leaders are now focusing on developing these capabilities internally.
“The real work wasn’t hiring product engineers. It was developing that capability in the engineers we already had.”
Andy Norton, VP Engineering, Flipdish
🤔 Are you looking to deveop your team into Product Engineers?
Here are some practical steps if you're trying to encourage this shift within your team.
1. Start with user problems, not technical solutions
Anchor discussions around user needs and outcomes before talking about implementation.
2. Involve engineers earlier in product discussions
Bring engineers into product conversations earlier to increase ownership and improves solution quality.
3. Encourage experimentation
Product engineers often validate ideas through small experiments rather than large up-front builds.
4. Develop awareness of team capabilities
Tune in to where product thinking already exists within your team and be vocal about praising those who are demonstrating them, to help spread the mindset.
5. Map capability before hiring
Before reorganising your team or hiring externally, map where product engineering capability matters most in your system.
“Before you hire, before you reorganise, draw a map.”
Andy Norton, VP Engineering, Flipdish
❓What does this shift to Product Engineering actually mean for Engineers?
For individual engineers, the rise of product engineering creates new opportunities.
Engineers who develop product awareness often find they gain:
• Greater influence over product direction
• More autonomy and ownership
• Deeper collaboration across teams
• Stronger long-term career progression
The skills becoming increasingly valuable include:
• User empathy
• Product thinking
• Communication and influence
• Systems thinking
• Experimentation and learning
Technical excellence is still super important. But the engineers creating the most impact & seeing success in their careers are combining technical skill with product awareness.
📣 The future of engineering roles
The term “Product Engineer” may or may not become a standard title. But the capabilities behind it are becoming more important. Engineering roles are moving beyond pure implementation and toward a model where engineers:
• Help shape problems
• Influence solutions
• Understand users
• Contribute to product outcomes
In short, the modern engineer is becoming part builder, part problem solver and part product thinker. And as AI continues to accelerate software development, that blend of skills is likely to become even more valuable.
If you’re hiring product engineers or thinking about your next move in product-led engineering, feel free to reach out to Joe O’Sullivan or Charlotte Smith. They spend their time working closely with engineering teams across Manchester and are always happy to share insight on the market.
