We’ve officially entered the era of "product-first developer"

I don’t just mean someone who does frontend + backend. That's full-stack.

I’m talking about builders who can take an idea, wire up the backend, design the frontend, write the specs, and deploy it.

Product-minded. Technically deep. Sharp visionaries.

A team of one, that moves like ten.

Think about it. The tools have leveled up.

The days of needing a five-person team just to ship a working MVP? They're behind us.

Early-stage startups are hiring fewer people and are on the hunt for builders who can think end-to-end.

Founders want teammates who understand users, obsess over product, and still know how to ship up code that works.

So what does this mean for devs?

Some thoughts ↓

1. learn how to own the whole flow
from commit to deploy, from design to data

2. go beyond the ticket
understand why the feature exists. think product.

3. build side projects
nothing levels you up faster than doing it all yourself

4. don’t wait to be told
have ideas. test them. ship them.

5. collab like a founder
talk to users. write docs. explain tradeoffs.

Development today doesn’t just mean tech.
It means ownership.