4 ms·

> Otherwise all dev work could just be outsourced. The value of American engineers is their ability to a) speak english well, b) show up at the office, and c)

by duaneb 10y ago

> Otherwise all dev work could just be outsourced. The value of American engineers is their ability to a) speak english well, b) show up at the office, and c) swallow large amounts of debt for college to ease hiring. So I'm not sure how outsourcing plays into this at all. I have never before heard of someone expressing a desire to hire a product manager/marketer/sales/brand strategist/designer because they're a good engineer. It actually shocked me you would consider skills involved related at all. I would not expect this from an engineer, and it would make hiring one immensely difficult. That's more the type of skill that leads to starting your own company.

cloverich 10y ago
> I have never before heard of someone expressing a desire to hire a product manager/marketer/sales/brand strategist/designer because they're a good engineer. Hmm, I'd heard that hiring product managers that were excellent engineers is very common in the Valley. Not as an exception, but as a "preferred" qualification.
- duaneb 10y ago
  Hopefully they have some ability to manage a product, too. :) That's a skill that engineering helps inform, but a good engineer does not imply anything like time management, market knowledge, people skills, translating between designers and engineers, etc etc.
dudul 10y ago
"I have never before heard of someone expressing a desire to hire a product manager/marketer/sales/brand strategist/designer because they're a good engineer." I have. They don't have to be amazing engineers, but a background with some engineer knowledge is always a big plus.
- duaneb 10y ago
  Well, sure. But it's not their engineering talent alone that got them the job—hopefully that is not sufficient. The main reason it helps is to understand obstacles, time management, and communication, not because their job is engineering. Regardless, coding is certainly not a directly useful skill.

by duaneb 10y ago

cloverich 10y ago

> I have never before heard of someone expressing a desire to hire a product manager/marketer/sales/brand strategist/designer because they're a good engineer. Hmm, I'd heard that hiring product managers that were excellent engineers is very common in the Valley. Not as an exception, but as a "preferred" qualification.

duaneb 10y ago
Hopefully they have some ability to manage a product, too. :) That's a skill that engineering helps inform, but a good engineer does not imply anything like time management, market knowledge, people skills, translating between designers and engineers, etc etc.

dudul 10y ago

"I have never before heard of someone expressing a desire to hire a product manager/marketer/sales/brand strategist/designer because they're a good engineer." I have. They don't have to be amazing engineers, but a background with some engineer knowledge is always a big plus.

duaneb 10y ago
Well, sure. But it's not their engineering talent alone that got them the job—hopefully that is not sufficient. The main reason it helps is to understand obstacles, time management, and communication, not because their job is engineering. Regardless, coding is certainly not a directly useful skill.