So, I read a spicy LinkedIn post claiming it's tough for a coder to make a good Product Manager. Honestly, I kind of agree... but not entirely. The real issue is: when you're an engineer-turned-PM and someone pitches a wild new feature, you're tempted to jump into technical constraints before even dreaming big. Doesn't make you a bad PM---it just means sometimes you need to put the inner engineer in airplane mode.

Rule 1: Set a Vision---Crazy, Impossible, Doesn't Matter.

Don't start by listing why things can't be done. As a PM, you've got to wear different hats: engineer for tech talks, designer for user flows, and customer for actual value. Constraints? They'll turn up later at the party.

Now, let's talk designers. I've met three kinds so far:

The Yes-Boss Designer: Whatever reference you send, they'll replicate it with Olympic accuracy.

The Edge Case Ninja: This designer thinks of every scenario imaginable---future-proofing everything, sometimes more than you bargained for.

The Newbie (Quiet but Mighty): New to the product, maybe shy, but learning the ropes---and sometimes asks the smart questions you forgot.

Not passing judgment here. Every one of these designers taught me something about product management. They're why I ditched the MBA idea---my crash course in user-centric thinking came from real-world collaboration.

Quick tip: The engineering mindset is super useful for technical workarounds, but with designers (and most other stakeholders), you've got to switch perspectives. Think like a user, not a backend service.

Teamwork Is Key, But Don't Forget The Trade-offs

Brainstorming, iterating, and endless feedback loops are a dream, but real life comes with deadlines. When the clock's ticking, use frameworks like Must-have / Should-have / Could-have to separate dreams from deliverables.

For every project, I don't just dump a PRD (Product Requirements Document) and vanish. I go the extra mile---a detailed page-by-page breakdown including fields, layout, theming, wireframes, screen recordings, and, of course, clear "must/should/could" markers for each item.

Clear Feedback Wins Every Time

Didn't love the landing page? Be kind and specific:
Not "This is bad," but "The illustration works, but the theming could better match our brand colors."

Feedback isn't a roast. It's a recipe.

Also, never forget to listen. Sometimes, a designer will surprise you---in ways you didn't anticipate---and those become the features users remember. Give credit, be inclusive, celebrate team wins, and learn from the misses. Product management is less about pointing fingers, more like playing cricket---you win some, you learn some.

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." --- Helen Keller

Collaboration is a practice. Sometimes the vision hits, sometimes it misses. When it misses, dig into the why, not the who.