How to Earn the Respect of Your Engineers
If you’re a product manager, gaining the respect of your engineering team is really important
Engineers play a key role in building products, and their respect is something you need to work for. Here’s some notes on how to build that respect through understanding, collaboration, and teamwork.
1. Learn Some Basic Coding
One of the quickest ways to earn respect from engineers is by showing that you understand the basics of coding. You don’t need to be an expert, but knowing how your product works from a technical perspective can make a big difference.
For example, if your product is a website, get familiar with tools like Firebug or Inspect Element. These tools allow you to make small changes to the site’s design or content, like tweaking CSS styles or editing HTML. Even though these tasks are simple, they show that you’re willing to engage with the technical side of the product.
If coding isn’t your thing, at least understand some basic concepts. For example, know when to use different image formats like PNGs and GIFs, why accessibility is important, and why certain coding practices, like using eval() in JavaScript, are not recommended. These little bits of knowledge can go a long way in…
