As a PM, I’ve learned the hard way that launches rarely get blocked by “big unknowns.” More often, it’s the small technical mismatches Or repeated logic, over-engineered features, or a quick hack.
That’s why I started digging into core software engineering principles. Not to write code myself, but to speak the same language as my engineers and spot problems before they slow us down.
Here are 7 principles (in plain English) that every PM should have in their toolkit:
- DRY — Don’t Repeat Yourself
Copy-pasted logic = triple risk. Push for reusable components so fixes happen once.
- KISS — Keep It Simple, Stupid
Complexity is expensive. The simplest approach usually scales the best.
- YAGNI — You Ain’t Gonna Need It
Don’t clog the roadmap with “future-maybe” features. Build for today’s needs.
- Technical Debt = Real Money
Every shortcut is a loan with interest. Budget time for clean-up, or velocity drops later.
- APIs & Microservices
Know your system boundaries. Clean contracts between services prevent nasty surprises.
- Safe Release Practices
Deploy ≠ release. Feature flags and trunk-based dev give you flexibility when things get messy.
- Simplicity Scales
At every level — code, scope, systems, process — simplicity wins.
Why This Matters for Product Managers
Understanding these principles changes the way you plan, write tickets, and negotiate trade-offs. It’s not about coding — it’s about making sure your engineers aren’t slowed down by decisions made upstream.
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