I've spent more than a decade teaching software developers how to build quality user experiences on the web. That work still matters. But the landscape is shifting fast, and I wanted a dedicated place to talk about the skill I think stays valuable even as AI takes over more implementation: product engineering.
The Durable Skill
In this intro I tried to name the shift plainly. Quality, craft, and review still matter. Agents are getting better at a lot of the work we used to treat as our unique contribution. I actually love that - it frees us to spend more time understanding problems and aiming at what users actually need.
The metaphor I keep coming back to is archery. We've gotten really good at aiming and releasing the arrow. AI is turning those arrows into homing beacons. The hard part is not always hitting a target - it is choosing which target deserves the shot, especially now that we can reach targets we never noticed before.
That is what this podcast is about: learning out loud with founders, researchers, engineers, and product managers who blend technical depth with product judgment.
Product Engineers Are Not Product Managers
A lot of developers worry that AI means they'll have to become product managers. I do not think that is the case. Product managers are still valuable, and engineering expertise still matters. But the line between the two roles is blurring in a useful way.
Developers need more of the muscles we usually associate with good PMs: user empathy, clarity about the problem space, and the ability to spot a beautifully wrong solution before you polish it. The throughline for me is the same as it has always been in my teaching - durable skills. Right now that means product thinking, not just code. Fall in love with the problem, not your solution.
What To Expect
Every episode ends with homework - one concrete thing to try. You can listen and learn a lot without doing anything, but I think the value shows up when you act on what guests share.
I also called out a few conversations that are good starting points if you are new to the feed: Dax Raad on restraint when implementation is fast, Wayne Allan on building the right thing before the thing right, Don Norman on why "user error" usually means a design problem, Alex Hillman on Sales Safari and making users feel anticipated, Dillon Mulroy on tightening feedback loops with support, and Aaron Francis on building Solo from a real painful problem. There is a lot more in the catalog - you do not need to go in order.
If you want a solo companion to the guest conversations, I am also doing Better with Kent on the same themes.
