The Rise of the AI-Powered Product Engineer: My Journey from Manager to Superhuman Developer

Date: Oct 17, 2024

Let's talk about a transformation in my professional life. It's a story of rediscovery and finding my true calling in a rapidly evolving tech landscape. Join me as we dive into the world of product engineering, AI, and why I'm making a dramatic shift in my career.

The Management Merry-Go-Round

The call to management is tempting. "We wish we could clone you," they'd say. "How do we get 10 Camerons?" It's flattering, but it's also a trap. One I've fallen into many times.

I've worn many hats in my career: software developer, product designer, product manager, people manager, executive, cofounder, and software architect. Each time I excelled, I was pushed towards management.

It starts small. "Can you review this code?" "Could you mentor this junior dev?" Soon, you're drowning in 1-on-1s, performance reviews, and strategy meetings. It's far from the concrete work that drew me to tech.

I enjoyed developing others and was good at it. But something was missing. I felt like a race car driver stuck in a Toyota Camry. I could make that Camry perform well, but I knew I was meant for something more exciting.

The AI Revolution: A Personal Awakening

Enter the AI revolution. We've all seen those tweets: "My kid made a game using Copilot!" or "I built an app with Cursor, and I don't even know how to code!" For a curious person like me, they were irresistible.

I dove into AI-assisted development. At first, I just tinkered – connecting APIs and writing scripts to generate code from natural language. Then something clicked. It was like getting the keys to a supercar after years in that Camry.

Using Granola to ask questions to the transcript *DURING THE MEETING*

I found myself building at the speed of thought. I was no longer limited by traditional development. It was thrilling, but I didn't grasp its full impact until my startup failed.

The Accidental Discovery: Product Engineering Supercharged

After my startup, I returned to product management contract work. But I had one condition: I needed to write code. This small request led to a big revelation.

I was embedded in a team, doing product management tasks. But I also owned a functional area of the product end-to-end as a full-stack dev. Amazingly, I was delivering outputs at the scale of the entire product team. I handled front-end, back-end, UX, and UI – all while managing the product side.

It was like unlocking a superpower. I wasn't just keeping up; I was outpacing the team. Imagine developing the rider side of an app like Uber solo, while a whole team worked on the driver side – and then contributing to their side too!

Generating pull request descriptions automatically.

The Secret Sauce: AI as My Tireless Intern

My secret? I use AI constantly. At any moment, I have at least one AI model generating something. It's like having a tireless intern who's always ready to prototype, refine, and iterate.

Picture this: I'm on a Zoom call, pair programming with a developer. We're tackling a complex problem spanning client and server. Within five minutes, I've built a prototype addressing all key aspects of the problem and solution. How? While talking, I'm feeding instructions to my AI assistant, refining in real-time.

It's not magic – it's the result of a year spent learning and practicing with generative AI as a veteran software engineer open to new possibilities.

Using Shortcuts.app to capture my voice, run it through multiple models, and output text that I can copy & paste.

The Future of Development: Avengers Assemble!

What happens when more developers harness this power? When junior, senior, and principal engineers all have these tools?

I envision a future where augmented senior developers work at superhuman speeds. It's like the Avengers versus a military battalion – a small team of superhumans outperforming a larger traditional force.

But this vision raises concerns. How will the career progression system change? How will new developers gain experience if companies only want AI-augmented senior talent? It's worth pondering.

Embracing My New Reality

As I close this chapter and open a new one, I feel excited and cautious. I feel more capable than ever, drawn to product engineering. But I'm aware of the potential disruption to the tech ecosystem.

One thing's certain – I'm no longer content to be the manager on the sidelines. I'm strapping into that AI-powered sports car and getting ready to race. The road ahead is uncertain, but it'll be thrilling.

To my fellow developers: Are you ready to embrace the AI revolution? Are you prepared to become the superhuman developer you were meant to be? The future is here. It's time to grab the wheel.