AI can scaffold an app in seconds, but can it refactor that thousand-line React file when the first bug hits production? 

In this episode, I sit down with Brian Jenney software engineer and program owner of the coding bootcamp Parsity, to draw a hard line between “code that runs” and “code that lasts.” From mentoring career-switchers to stress-testing AI in real-world pipelines, Brian shares why craftsmanship and product judgment still beat copy-paste prompts.

🔗 Essential Links (Start Here!):

Full Episodes: https://product-driven.captivate.fm/episodes

Connect with Matt Watson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwatsonkc/

Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://newsletter.productdriven.com/

Powered by Full Scale: https://fullscale.io/

GET THE PRODUCT DRIVEN BOOK: https://productdriven.com/book



Connect with Brian on LinkedIn :https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianjenney/

Check out Parsity here: https://www.parsity.io/

Key Discussion Points:

“You have to be smarter than the AI.” Why blindly shipping generated code is the fastest way to paint yourself into a technical-debt corner



The hidden risk of non-deterministic models—like failing a simple “greater-than” check in production tests



A training rule of thumb: no AI for your first months of study, then use it only to reinforce fundamentals—not replace them



The “house-of-cards” analogy for code quality and why maintainability still matters when AI writes the first draft



How Parsity’s tight-knit model turns plumbers, teachers, and even doctors into disciplined, product-minded engineers

Why We Still Need Software Engineers in the Age of AI with Brian Jenney

If you’re running a startup, chances are you’re the bottleneck. 

Brittany Rastsmith joins Product Driven to talk through why founders constantly end up in this trap and how to escape it. She works with early-stage companies through her consulting firm, Bloom Remote [https://www.bloomremote.com/], and she's seen it all. We get into how to create clarity, visibility, and accountability across your team so you’re not stuck answering every question, solving every problem, or staying up all night wondering if anything is getting done. 

If you want your team to take ownership and drive outcomes—not just check boxes—this episode is for you.

[01:00] - Why being the bottleneck it's a stage 

[02:30] - Choose your hard: micromanage or build trust 

[07:30] - How to measure what matters

[10:30] - Delegating doesn't work if you dump chaos 

[14:30] - Explain your thinking if you want your team to carry it out 

[16:00] - The power of decision logs and written rationale 

[19:45] - Why psychological safety is key to team ownership 

[21:30] - Rubber-stamping is the death of progress 

[24:00] - Why most managers are untrained (and why that matters) 

[28:00] - Productivity vs. busyness: where your team might be stuck 

[29:15] - Inputs vs. outcomes: how to tell what's actually broken 

[31:05] - Where to find Brittany and learn more about Bloom Remote



Links & Resources:

Brittany Rastsmith on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanyrastsmith/]: 

Bloom Remote [https://www.bloomremote.com/]

Get the Book: https://mybook.to/productdriven

Newsletter: productdriven.com [https://productdriven.com/]

Connect with Matt: https://linkedin.com/in/mattwatson

Get the Offshore Hiring Guide: https://hirefullscale.com/offshore-hiring-guide

Simple Systems that Let CTOs Delegate Ownership—and Still Sleep at Night with Brittany Rastsmith

The 10X Developer Decoded: Why Technical Co-Founders Are Startup Gold 💎

In this revealing conversation, we unpack one of tech's most polarizing concepts while exploring the brutal realities of building technical partnerships in today's startup ecosystem. Host Matt Watson and Noah Lindner (ex-Airbnb engineer turned consultant) deliver unfiltered insights that challenge conventional wisdom about technical hiring and startup team dynamics.

🔗 Essential Links (Start Here!):

Get the Book: https://mybook.to/productdriven

Newsletter: productdriven.com [https://productdriven.com/]

Connect with Matt: https://linkedin.com/in/mattwatson

Full Scale Ventures: https://fullscaleventures.com [https://fullscaleventures.com/]

Get the Offshore Hiring Guide: https://hirefullscale.com/offshore-hiring-guide

YC Co-Founder Matching: https://ycombinator.com/cofounder-matching



The Evolution of Engineering Excellence 🚀

Redefining 10X: From Myth to Methodology

The conversation opens with a fascinating transformation—how the once-toxic "10X developer" stereotype has evolved into a legitimate business advantage. Noah's perspective shift reveals something profound: the best engineers aren't just writing code faster; they're architecting workflows that eliminate friction entirely.

Real-World 10X Impact:

 * Before: 30-minute CI builds crushing team velocity
 * After: 2-second feedback loops enabling continuous iteration
 * Result: Exponential productivity gains through systematic optimization


The Technical Co-Founder Paradox

Matt delivers a game-changing insight: "To really be a true technical co-founder, they've got to have the vision for what's being built... not just the technical vision, but the product vision."

This distinction separates true startup partners from highly-paid order-takers—a critical differentiation in today's competitive landscape.

Chapter Timestamps:

 * 00:00 - Deconstructing the 10X developer phenomenon
 * 08:30 - Technical co-founder vs. founding engineer dynamics
 * 16:45 - The four pillars of engineering leadership
 * 25:20 - Why big tech creates product-blind engineers
 * 32:15 - Navigating the golden handcuffs dilemma


The Changing Startup Landscape

The conversation reveals how technological democratization is reshaping co-founder dynamics. When any PM can create "lovable prototypes" using no-code tools, the bar for technical co-founders rises significantly. Success now requires scalable prototyping—building MVPs that can evolve rather than require complete rebuilds.

The New Technical Leadership Model

Matt's four-quadrant framework provides clarity:

 * Strategy: Long-term architectural vision
 * Operations: Team efficiency and process optimization
 * Product: User experience and market alignment
 * Technical: Core engineering excellence


For early-stage startups,

Technical Co-Founders are Startup Gold with Noah Lindner

From Coding to Catalyst: The Evolution of Technology Leadership 🚀

Journey through the transformation of modern CTOs with industry veteran Kathy Keating, who shares battle-tested insights from scaling teams of 2 to 450+ engineers. This episode unravels the complex tapestry of technology leadership, exploring how yesterday's code-focused roles have evolved into today's strategic business catalysts.

🔗 Essential Links (Start Here!): 

Get the Book: https://mybook.to/productdriven

Newsletter: productdriven.com [https://productdriven.com/]

Connect with Matt: https://linkedin.com/in/mattwatson

Full Scale Ventures: https://fullscaleventures.com [https://fullscaleventures.com/]

Get the Offshore Hiring Guide: https://hirefullscale.com/offshore-hiring-guide

The Leadership Evolution Story 📖

The Great Divide: Once upon a time, software engineers were the product owners, customer advocates, and technical architects all rolled into one. They flew across continents to understand telecom fraud patterns, immersed themselves in customer operations for weeks, and returned with deep domain expertise. Today's specialized world has created powerful capabilities—but at what cost?

The Four Pillars of Engineering Leadership: Matt introduces a provocative framework suggesting no one masters all four domains: Strategic visioning, Operational excellence, Technical depth, and Product intuition. The conversation challenges us to identify our strengths while building systems that compensate for our natural limitations.

Behind the Framework: CTO Levels Decoded 🔍

Kathy reveals the methodology behind assessing technology leadership maturity—from solo programmer (Level 0) to industry thought leader (Level 10). Each level demands mastery of previous foundations while introducing new complexities like acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and organizational transformation.

The Assessment Reality: A comprehensive 50-question evaluation generating 60-page strategic roadmaps. Hundreds of leaders have used this framework to identify gaps and accelerate growth—proving that systematic development beats trial-and-error learning.

Chapter Timestamps:

00:00 - Opening: Two Authors, One Mission 

02:14 - Defining Modern CTO Reality 

04:11 - The Four-Type Leadership Framework 

07:21 - CTO Levels: Decoding the Hierarchy 

09:25 - Career Path Truth: How Do You Actually Become a CTO? 

16:58 - Strategic Advice: The Power of Starting Small 

17:52 - Then vs. Now: 20 Years of Engineering Evolution

22:03 - The Product-Engineering Divide Crisis 

26:12 - AI Revolution: Promise and Peril 

32:44 - Resources: CTO Levels and Liquid Book Overview 

33:09 - Final Thoughts and Next Steps

Which of the four engineering leadership types resonates most with your current role—Strategic, Operational, Technical, or Product? Share your experience in the comments and let's discuss how to build complementary teams that cover all bases.

CTO Levels and the Path to Strategic Tech Leadership with Kathy Keating

Product Driven: Building Software Teams That Ship Value 🚀

In this special book launch episode, we dive deep into the intersection of engineering leadership, product thinking, and the transformative impact of AI on software development. Join Matt Watson and Craig Ferril as they explore the revolutionary "Product Driven Model" and why traditional development approaches are becoming obsolete.

🔗 Essential Resources:

Get the Book: https://a.co/d/100RmwC

Newsletter: productdriven.com [https://productdriven.com/]

Connect with Matt: https://linkedin.com/in/mattwatson

Full Scale Ventures: https://fullscaleventures.com [https://fullscaleventures.com/]

Get the Offshore Hiring Guide: https://hirefullscale.com/offshore-hiring-guide

Key Discussion Highlights:

🎯 The Product Driven Model (Five Core Components)

 * Vision: Understanding the "why" behind every decision
 * Focus: Keeping customer outcomes at the center
 * Clarity: Providing just enough context without overwhelming
 * Shared Ownership: Distributing responsibility across teams
 * Courage: Creating psychological safety for innovation


🤖 AI's Leadership Challenge

 * Engineering bottlenecks are shifting from throughput to direction
 * Teams going "2x faster in the wrong direction" create bigger problems
 * Leadership must evolve from requirement-feeders to vision-communicators
 * The rise of "low-code thinking" in traditional development


🎯 From Individual Contributors to Leaders

 * The transition from "doing" to "enabling others to do"
 * Four types of engineering leadership: Strategic, Operational, Technical, and Product
 * Why most leaders aren't good at all four (and shouldn't try to be)


Chapter Timestamps:

00:00 - Book Launch Introduction & "Find Your Craig"

08:16 - Why AI Makes Product Thinking Critical

15:03 - The Death Spiral of Internal Focus

18:07 - Creating Cultures of Courage vs. Fear

23:14 - The Five Components of Product Driven Model

32:40 - Future of Engineering Leadership

37:22 - Closing the Feedback Loop with Introverted Teams

💡 Key Takeaways:

For Engineering Leaders:

 * Stop being the bottleneck - build teams that don't need you
 * Create environments where "calling the baby ugly" is celebrated
 * Focus on making other people more productive


For Product Teams:

 * Shift from feature factories to outcome-driven development
 * Embrace the "win or learn" mentality
 * Connect every technical decision to customer value


For Organizations:

 * AI won't solve leadership problems - it will expose them
 * Culture and strategy must work in tandem
 * The future belongs to teams that think like product owners


The conversation reveals a fundamental shift happening in software development. As AI democratizes code creation, the competitive advantage moves from "how fast can we build" to "what should we build and why." Teams that master this transition will thrive; those that don't will find

Inside 'Product Driven': Why This New Book is Every Engineering Leader's Must-Read

Product Driven: The Book Launch - A Software Leader's Journey to Creating High-Performance Teams 📚

After months of intensive writing and years of industry experience, Matt Watson unveils his groundbreaking book "Product Driven" - a comprehensive guide for engineering leaders seeking to build teams with a genuine product mindset. This isn't just another business book; it's a practical roadmap for transforming how software teams think, work, and deliver value.

In this revealing first look, Matt shares the personal journey that led to creating this essential resource for the tech industry. Drawing from his extensive career building and scaling software products, he addresses a critical gap in leadership literature - how to actually build and manage teams that think like product owners, not just code executors.

🔗 Essential Resources:

Get the Book: https://a.co/d/100RmwC

Newsletter: productdriven.com [https://productdriven.com/]

Connect with Matt: https://linkedin.com/in/mattwatson

Full Scale Ventures: https://fullscaleventures.com [https://fullscaleventures.com/]

Get the Offshore Hiring Guide: https://hirefullscale.com/offshore-hiring-guide

Key Discussion Points:

 * The evolution from developer conference speech to comprehensive leadership guide
 * Why product mindset separates high-performing developers from the rest
 * The cultural transformation required for sustainable team success
 * Practical frameworks for engineering leaders to implement immediately
 * The 500-hour writing journey and lessons learned


Chapter Timestamps:

00:00 - The Big Reveal: First Look at Product Driven

00:22 - The Origin Story: From Conference Speech to Book

01:30 - The Culture Revolution: Why Leadership Matters

02:38 - The Writing Process: 500 Hours of Insights

Ready to Transform Your Team? Share your biggest leadership challenge in the comments - what's preventing your developers from thinking like product owners? Let's discuss practical solutions that actually work in real engineering environments.

The Engineering Leadership Book That Actually Shows You How to Build Product-Minded Teams

Breaking Through Requirements Hell: How AI is Revolutionizing Software Development 🚀

In this compelling exploration of technological transformation, host Matt Watson connects with Chris Rickard, founder of UserDoc, broadcasting from Vietnam. Their conversation unveils a profound shift happening across the software industry—one where artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping the relationship between business stakeholders and development teams.﻿

What emerges is a fascinating paradox: as AI accelerates coding capabilities, the critical constraint shifts from "how do we build it?" to "what exactly should we build?" Chris's journey from software engineer to product innovator illustrates this transformation, revealing how traditional bottlenecks are being reimagined through AI-powered requirements management.

🔗 Essential Links (Start Here!): 

Full Episodes: https://product-driven.captivate.fm/episodes 

Connect with Matt Watson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwatsonkc/ 

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://fullscaleteam.com/newsletter 

Get our FREE Ebook: https://fullscaleteam.com/productfirstteams 

Powered by Full Scale: https://fullscale.io/

Download the FREE Offshore Hiring Guide: https://hirefullscale.com/offshore-hiring-guide

UserDoc: https://userdoc.com [https://userdoc.com/]

Chris Rickard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrickard/

Key Discussion Points:

 * AI-Powered Requirements Creation: How UserDoc accelerates requirements by 50-70% while maintaining human oversight
 * Reverse Engineering Legacy Systems: Converting complex source code (including COBOL) into understandable business features
 * The Shifting Development Bottleneck: Why clarity becomes paramount when AI makes development faster
 * Integration with Modern Workflows: Connecting requirements directly to AI coding tools like Cursor and GitHub Copilot


Chapter Timestamps:

 * 00:00 - The Universal Developer Dilemma
 * 02:28 - Genesis of UserDoc
 * 07:57 - Beyond Product Managers: Who Really Needs This
 * 14:40 - Technical Challenges of Code Analysis
 * 22:44 - The Great Bottleneck Shift
 * 27:04 - Pricing and Market Accessibility


﻿Ready to break free from requirements chaos and accelerate your development workflow? The conversation with Chris Rickard reveals a pivotal moment in software development—where AI amplifies human potential rather than replacing it. ﻿

﻿Share your own requirements management challenges in the comments below. How has AI changed your development process? What bottlenecks are you experiencing as coding becomes more automated?

Rethinking Requirements When Engineers Are No Longer the Bottleneck with Chris Rickard

Learning Through Play: How Boddle Built Educational Games That Kids Actually Want

In this insightful conversation, Matt Watson talks with Clarence Tan, founder and CEO of Boddle Learning, about their journey building educational games that have reached over 10 million users. Clarence shares how they tackled the classic problem of educational games - how to make them as engaging as regular games while maintaining educational value. By creating fun games first and then "sneaking in" learning content, Boddle has found success in the competitive educational technology space.

The most valuable lesson? Get out of the office and actually watch users interact with your product. Rather than spending money on complex analytics, the Boddle team discovered their biggest product issues simply by visiting classrooms and observing how kids used their app. Clarence also shares how they eventually cracked the monetization code by understanding that parents were buying subscriptions not because they understood the educational benefits, but because their kids wanted the in-game items.

🔗 Essential Links (Start Here!):

Full Episodes: https://product-driven.captivate.fm/episodes

Connect with Matt Watson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwatsonkc/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://newsletter.productdriven.com/

Powered by Full Scale: https://fullscale.io/

GET THE PRODUCT DRIVEN BOOK: https://productdriven.com/book

Check out Boddle here: https://www.boddlelearning.com/



Key Discussion Points:

🎮 Building educational games that are genuinely fun first

🧠 How Boddle "sneaks in" learning content after establishing engaging gameplay

💰 The journey from zero users to 10 million through COVID and beyond

📊 Why watching actual users beats fancy analytics tools

🔑 The monetization breakthrough: understanding kids are the real decision makers

🚀 Pivoting from building many games to focusing on the most successful one

📱 How Boddle connects with both teachers and parents



Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction and Welcome

00:46 - Origins of Boddle Learning

02:08 - Making Education Fun Through Games

04:17 - Early Funding and Productization

05:36 - Impact of COVID on Growth

07:42 - Getting on the White House Educational Resources List

08:19 - Server Challenges with Rapid Growth

09:04 - Moving to Tulsa for VC Funding

10:30 - The "Leaky Bucket" Discovery

11:21 - Monetization Challenges

13:57 - Finding the Most Popular Game Mode

14:51 - The Pet Battle Game Success

15:58 - NFT Experiment Mistakes

16:52 - Keeping Education in Fun Games

18:45 - The Power of Classroom Observation

20:47 - First-Time User Experience Issues

22:32 - Learning to Sell to Parents Through Kids

25:40 - Tapping Into the Entertainment Wallet

26:45 - Boddle Bucks and Future Growth

27:38 - Impact and Educational Value

Ready to transform your child's screen time into learning time? Visit https://www.boddlelearning.com/ to try their educational games that kids actually want to play!

How Boddle's Product-Driven Approach Built Educational Games That Kids Ask Parents to Buy with Clarence Tan

Feedback-Driven Development: Optimizing Your Software Engineering Process

In this enlightening conversation with author Ashley Davis, Matt Watson explores the concept of feedback-driven development and how it shapes effective software engineering practices. Ashley, author of "Bootstrapping Microservices" and the upcoming "The Feedback-Driven Developer," shares valuable insights on how developers can leverage feedback loops to enhance their productivity, make better decisions, and deliver more value to customers. They discuss the shifting landscape of software development in the age of AI, the importance of personal feedback systems, and why understanding product priorities is crucial for modern developers.

🔗 Essential Links (Start Here!):

Full Episodes: https://product-driven.captivate.fm/episodes

Connect with Matt Watson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwatsonkc/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://fullscaleteam.com/newsletter

Get our FREE Ebook: https://fullscaleteam.com/productfirstteams

Powered by Full Scale: https://fullscale.io/

GET THE PRODUCT DRIVEN BOOK: https://productdriven.com/book

Ashley Davis on Twitter: @ashleydavis75

"Bootstrapping Microservices" book: Manning.com/books/bootstrapping-microservices-with-docker-kubernetes-and-terraform [http://manning.com/books/bootstrapping-microservices-with-docker-kubernetes-and-terraform]

"The Feedback-Driven Developer" (Early Access): Manning.com [http://manning.com/]

Key Discussion Points:

🔄 The concept of personal feedback loops in the development process

🎯 How prioritizing by "value over cost to deliver" leads to better decisions

🔍 The critical importance of getting clarity before diving into code

🚀 Why prototyping is one of the most effective feedback mechanisms

🤖 How AI is shifting the bottleneck from engineering to product decision-making

⚠️ The pitfall of "moving fast in the wrong direction" with AI assistance

🧩 Techniques for self-review and maintaining working code

🏗️ When microservices architecture makes sense (and when it doesn't)

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Welcome

00:25 - The Experience of Being a Tech Book Author

00:53 - Origins of "The Feedback-Driven Developer" Book

02:11 - Defining "Feedback" in Software Development

03:52 - The Importance of Understanding Trade-offs

05:35 - Ensuring You're Working on the Right Thing

07:34 - Getting Feedback on Implementation Approaches

09:06 - Clarity as the Fuel of Software Development

11:16 - AI's Impact on the Software Development Bottleneck

13:13 - Why the Best Developers Think Like Product Owners

14:54 - Process Theater vs. Value Delivery

16:19 - Building Feedback into Your Development Loop

17:23 - Production Monitoring and Performance Feedback

19:32 - Key Insights and Aha Moments from the Book

22:44 - Developers QA-ing Their Own Code

25:21 - When to Use Microservices Architecture

27:43 - Book Information and Closing Thoughts

Ready to transform your development process with effective feedback systems? Get early access to "The Feedback-Driven Developer" at 

How Feedback Loops Transform Development Efficiency with Ashley Davis

Bootstrapping vs VC: John Rush on Building 25 Successful Products 🚀

In this enlightening episode of Product Driven, host Matt Watson sits down with serial tech entrepreneur John Rush. Known for his prominent presence on social media platforms like Twitter (X) and LinkedIn, John shares his journey from VC-backed companies to successfully bootstrapping 25 different startups over the past 15 years. The conversation explores the stark differences between venture-backed and bootstrapped business models, the importance of UX in product development, and how focusing on solving specific problems has led to his remarkable success.



John provides valuable insights on identifying your strengths as a founder, why empathy for users matters more than code quality, and his unique approach to product development that allows him to launch multiple successful tools with minimal failure rapidly. His clear vision of building a lasting company that helps bootstrappers achieve a better work-life balance inspires developers considering the entrepreneurial path.



🔗 Essential Links (Start Here!):

Full Episodes: https://product-driven.captivate.fm/episodes

Connect with Matt Watson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwatsonkc/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://newsletter.productdriven.com/

Powered by Full Scale: https://fullscale.io/



Chapters:

00:03 - Introduction to John Rush

00:31 - Thoughts on the "Indie Hacker" term

02:06 - VC-backed vs. Bootstrapped business models

04:30 - Creating and managing 25 different products

06:23 - Product success rate and failure assessment

08:32 - The seven tools driving 90% of revenue

11:22 - Competing in crowded markets

13:53 - Technology stack and code sharing across products

15:50 - The critical importance of UX in product design

23:19 - Approach to advertising and marketing

25:48 - Advice for software engineers considering entrepreneurship

30:57 - Long-term vision and goals

32:31 - Final words of wisdom



Transform your product development journey! Dive deeper into the entrepreneurial mindset that drives successful tech innovations. Whether you're a seasoned founder or just beginning your startup adventure, these resources will help you navigate the path with confidence and vision. 🚀

Product-Led Growth vs. VC Funding: Lessons from 25 Bootstrapped Startups with John Rush

Startup Hustle is a podcast for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs.  With the mission of telling the real story of startups and entrepreneurs, topics range from funding to failure and beyond.  If you want to start, own, or build a business then you're in the right place.   