Ask why in every PR - product engineering with Erin Fox

This section emphasizes the foundational value of questioning the 'why' behind every feature, change, or bug fix. Erin Fox advocates for treating each new feature as a mini product, which involves understanding its purpose, the associated metrics, and its impact on the user. Asking 'why' not only clarifies the purpose but also helps prevent unnecessary work, especially in the context of AI-generated pull requests, where the rationale might be missing. The key is to ensure that every change is deliberate and well-understood, thus fostering trust and more meaningful product development.

Fox discusses how trust in engineering teams has been challenged by the rise of AI tools that generate code and PRs. She highlights the importance of clear communication, understanding user pain points through metrics and community feedback, and telling stakeholder stories in terms they understand. Developing strong relationships—knowing personal details and goals—enhances trust and makes it easier to align efforts. The section underscores that excellent communication skills are crucial for standing out as a product engineer.

This section explores strategies for effective stakeholder engagement. Erin recommends directly asking managers and team members about their objectives, aligning engineering efforts with those goals, and building trust through honesty and relationship-building. She advocates for a collaborative approach where engineers help stakeholders see their goals are aligned, thereby breaking down 'fences' and fostering a team-oriented mindset. This approach enhances cooperation and ensures that engineering work genuinely meets business needs.

Fox emphasizes that foundational software principles like avoiding duplication and thoughtful system design remain vital, even with AI agents. She suggests that specifying clear patterns and goals helps steer AI agents, avoiding unexpected large-scale changes or architectural drift. She advocates for explicit communication of expectations and aligning code patterns to support long-term maintainability, illustrating that good design and intentionality continue to be key regardless of automation.

This section discusses how the roles in tech are evolving towards more integrated responsibilities—blurring the lines between traditional software engineering, product engineering, and product management. Fox reflects on the need for engineering skill sets that include domain knowledge, strategic thinking, and user-centric perspectives. She envisions a future where engineers are more involved in understanding business goals, user pain points, and system architecture, positioning the product engineer as a crucial bridge across teams.

The episode concludes with actionable advice: on every pull request both as a reviewer and creator, explicitly include or ask for the 'why' behind the change. This habit reinforces understanding, prevents blind merging, and cultivates a culture of thoughtful development. Fox emphasizes that this small but powerful step can significantly improve product quality and team communication.