Working on Products People Hate
11 hours ago
- #product development
- #user feedback
- #software engineering
- The author has worked on several unpopular products, including Zendesk's app marketplace and GitHub Copilot.
- Working on disliked products highlights that individual engineers have little control over user reception, as product success depends on team efforts and company incentives.
- Engineers should be comfortable working on hated products because they serve the company, which may prioritize sustainability over user delight.
- Receiving negative feedback can be emotionally challenging, but it's important to balance user needs with company constraints.
- Disliked products often provide significant value to users, and improving them can have a high impact.
- Most engineers will eventually work on a hated product due to changing user sentiments over time.
- Avoid blaming engineers for unpopular products, as this can lead to self-blame and missed opportunities for positive impact.