The fundamental business purpose of engineering is not the act of writing code, but applying technical skills to achieve concrete financial outcomes. All engineering work ultimately serves one of these two goals: increasing revenue or reducing costs.

A senior engineer's greatest impact often comes not from being the deepest technical expert, but from having enough context across multiple domains (marketing, PR, engineering) to act as a translator. They synthesize information and help teams with deep expertise navigate complex, cross-functional decisions.

When hiring senior engineers, the crucial test is whether they can build. This means assessing their ability to take a real-world business problem—like designing a warehouse system—and translate it into a tangible technical solution. This skill separates true builders from theoretical programmers.

When hiring senior technical talent, the most valuable skill isn't just coding proficiency but the ability to take an abstract business problem—like designing a logistics system—and translate it into a functional technical solution. This skill demonstrates a deeper understanding that connects work to real-world value.

To be truly successful, a product leader cannot just focus on features and users. They must operate as the head of their product's business, with a deep understanding of P&Ls, revenue drivers, and capital allocation. Without this business acumen, they risk fundamentally undercutting their product's potential impact and success.

With AI agents automating raw code generation, an engineer's role is evolving beyond pure implementation. To stay valuable, engineers must now cultivate a deep understanding of business context and product taste to know *what* to build and *why*, not just *how*.

Engineers must resist the urge to strive for technical perfection. The optimal solution is one that fits the current business context, whether that's preparing for a funding round, an acquisition, or a commercial launch. Knowing when 'good enough' is sufficient is a critical business skill.

Miscommunication with non-technical stakeholders (finance, sales) is a common failure point. Engineers should take negotiation courses to frame technical problems in terms of business needs, do their research, and present a case effectively to get buy-in.

Technical executives often fail in interviews with PE firms because they can't articulate the business value of their work. Candidates must prepare to speak like they're in a board meeting, clearly connecting their initiatives to measurable outcomes like cost savings, revenue lift, or efficiency gains.