How closely do you work with the developers?

I work very closely with developers, but the nature of this collaboration has evolved depending on my role. When I was a Senior Product Manager responsible for the roadmap of a specific product line or set of features, I met regularly with each developer on the team. I spent significant time explaining the vision, roadmap, and user stories, as well as reviewing the implementation details to ensure alignment with our goals.

As I moved into leadership roles, my collaboration with developers shifted to working closely with development counterparts at various levels. While I continued to communicate the vision, roadmap, and the rationale behind our development efforts to the extended team, my direct interactions with individual developers became more strategic.

Working on development tools, it was imperative to maintain a close relationship with developers for several reasons beyond fostering collaboration and a healthy working environment. I wanted to understand the developer persona better, so I frequently interviewed them to uncover their pain points. Often, these conversations yielded great ideas that we could incorporate into our roadmap.

In the developer tool industry, dogfooding—using our own products internally—is a common practice. Listening to developers who use the product and are part of the team provided a valuable source of feedback. These developers deeply care about the product and the company, making their insights particularly relevant. Plus, it's more convenient to follow up with internal developers for additional questions than it is to gather user feedback from external customers and prospects.

Overall, my close collaboration with developers has been essential in ensuring that we build products that truly meet their needs and enhance their workflows.