Developer experience and business experience — two distinct worlds that often seem galaxies apart. Yet, in the dynamic landscape of technology and innovation, these worlds must not only coexist but thrive in harmony. It’s like a never-ending cycle, a dance of collaboration, and finding the perfect balance is the only way… to be successful.

We proudly stand here, Product Owner and Technical Delivery Manager, representing these different realities. Our diverse backgrounds have enriched us with wisdom we’re excited to share. In this post, we’ll delve into what we’ve learned from working closely together and aim to inspire you to embrace the best of both worlds.

The 6 tips from a Product perspective to work with Technical Teams

By Veronica Quiroga, Product Owner of Developer Experience at PagoNxt

1. Nurture a Coding Nirvana: Developers thrive in an environment free from red tape and bureaucracy. Simplicity in their coding process fuels motivation and productivity.

2. Focus on what really matters: While developer visibility is important, it’s crucial to strike a balance. In my experience, keep developers from the front line with clients as much as possible. Avoid distracting developers with unnecessary meetings. Involving them selectively ensures they can focus on what truly matters.

3. Leave egos aside, you are as good as your team is, and success tastes better when shared! But with this also comes the sense of ownership, don’t forget to share that too. Make sure to involve your development team in brainstorming and decision-making regarding the product’s functionalities.

4. Allow flexibility and embrace individuality: Understanding a developer’s personality and work preferences is key. Cultivate a flexible team culture that adapts to each member’s strengths, whether they’re team players or prefer solo coding. Nuria and I work hand-in-hand to maximize each individual’s potential.

5. Do your homework & become a tech translator: As a product owner you can’t just juggle with the different stakeholders’ functional requirements, you also need to acquire technical excellence behind the scenes. For this, you need to make sure you adequately translate business concepts to the technical side. This will also enable you to identify and anticipate key challenges that will arise on the way.

6. Cultivate Winning-Teams: Building a strong team Culture can’t be overlooked. That’s why we engage in team-building activities every now and then such as “cañas time” (my personal favorite!), and games such as the “hot potato”, Nuria’s latest invention. Plus, we even celebrate our top developers. Join us Nxt time if you’d like!

The 6 tips from the Technical roles to work with Product Teams

By Nuria Herrera Cubillo, Technical Delivery Manager of Developer Experience at PagoNxt

1. Embrace Team Triumphs and Trials: Successes taste sweeter and failures become lighter when shared with the team. Even if they aren’t directly involved with the client, make it a habit to share both positive and constructive feedback from the client within your development team. This not only highlights the positive impact of their hard work but also helps identify areas for improvement and their urgency.

2. Sprinting to the Perfect Balance: Striking the right balance between functional requirements and technical enhancements is key. Ensure that Product Owner requests are not only clear but also feasible within your sprint planning.

3. Beyond Implementation: Crafting Experiences: It’s not just about implementing functionality; it’s how you do it. Focus on the finer details of client requirements, as they care about the user experience, even the subtle elements like loaders.

4. Master your client’s Business DNA: Dive deeper to comprehend the reasoning behind requirements. Daily and fluent communication with Vero as PO enables understanding and makes it easier to empathize and grasp the purpose of seemingly unusual requests.

5. Be a Business Translator: Foster your adaptability so that you can change your terminology and overall speech based on your audience. I have learned to raise potential risks and technical challenges so that business stakeholders have an understanding and can even potentially help. By becoming a translator between technical intricacies and business needs, you bridge the communication gap and facilitate smoother collaboration.

6. Transparency… Your Superpower in Development! Build trust with your product owner by sharing any hurdles or external dependencies that might slow down the development process. This transparency ensures everyone is aware of challenges and the necessary actions for resolution.

By blending these insights from both product management and development delivery, we set the stage for our shared success and hope they are useful to you too.

As we navigate the ever-changing tech and payments landscape at PagoNxt, we believe that the best solutions always come from the best of both worlds.

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