Product Engineers Are Problem Solvers First, Executors Later. Here’s Why
Who knew that Ruangguru Adventure, one of the Product Engineer team’s projects, would greatly impact the learning spirit of Ruangguru users!
Ruangguru Adventure’s features make the learning experiences of Ruangguru users feel like a game, allowing them a personalized avatar that can compete and collect points from each learning activity in the Ruangguru application.
Apparently, there were many challenges the Ruangguru Product Engineer team faced in creating Ruangguru Adventure. Irfan Husni Alawi, the Product Engineer Manager, would know, and he’s sharing with us the process of creating Ruangguru Adventure and more.
“Product Engineers are not executors, but we are problem solvers. So to figure out what we want to execute, first, we think about what problems we want to solve. We always look for the optimum solution with the product and engineer team,” Irfan said.
Irfan and his team have always emphasized such mindset in creating new products or features.
Now, check out our conversation with Irfan and learn more about the innovations Irfan and the Product Engineering team has created!
Q : Can you tell us how the Product Engineer team creates new products?
A : The Product Engineer team doesn’t only do the technical work, but we are also involved in the beginning process of product manufacturing, where we must pay attention to the success metrics as well.
We also have to think about future problems and how to solve them. So before making a product, the Product Engineer team makes sure of three things, namely; the product must have an impact on the organization and business, an impact on its users, and an impact on the engineers. We consider these three things because they will be knowledge that will be useful if you want to develop new features in the product.
Q: We heard that Ruangguru Adventure is the most impactful project the Product Engineer team has made. Is this true?
A: Yes, Ruangguru Adventure is a project that is quite impactful. It was surprising that it received many positive responses from our users. We’ve seen how this feature makes our users study better and more diligently.
The research for Ruangguru Adventure itself took several weeks, too. This included a speedy sync project because it began in February and was released in July.
Q: When working on Ruangguru Adventure, what problems did the Product Engineering team face?
A: In the beginning, there were many challenges that we faced, including a minimal team composition and technical implementation differences between Android and iOS.
We didn’t think that this would be as impactful either, because the composition of the team was very small, only four people in the early stage (frontend, backend, Android, iOS). With this small team, the challenge was how we can adjust the strategy to fit the existing timeline. To keep the team motivated, we conducted lots of discussions and one-on-one sessions, during which we were free to talk about what needed to be improved, and the feedback went both ways.
Q: How did you improve the Product Engineer team?
A: First, I understood that different team members needed different approaches. Some people are open to talking about issues in forums, while some prefer one-on-one. So, when we talk more about existing problems or required solutions, usually after a one-on-one session, that’s when the ideas start coming out.
In this one-on-one session, we usually talk about improving the product in terms of technical and non-technical issues. For example, what is needed to be improved from the engineering side, and vice versa, what should I improve in terms of managing the team.
We aim to complement each other, and this is not meant to be a criticism but to further improve yourself
Q: Based on your own opinion, what’s the culture like in Ruangguru’s tech team?
A: The tech team’s culture is very interesting. One example is that every time there is a new project, there are no leads. We are all coaching, mentoring, and creating the designs.
Actually, in the tech team, there are four principles that take precedence. One of them is the Psychology of Safety, and what makes it comfortable to work here is that there are no gaps if you want to convey ideas or problems. If you have something to say, you can talk to someone right away, so the development and problem-solving process is quick. Another thing that makes it cool is when the product engineer team provides input for a product that has an impact on the business and users. So, later during the meeting, we will talk more about that impact on the business and users.
The tech team here is also very critical. We have to explain every new project we want to work on in great detail. We always brief the team until they are okay with everything.
If working with a team of passionate and growth-oriented engineers is what you’re looking for, check out more opportunities in Ruangguru by clicking this link!
This article was translated by Tasha Wibawa.
