Product Engineer: How AI is Changing the Developer's Role

The author reflects on the transformation of the software developer profession in the era of generative AI. Using the example of creating a custom macOS application with Claude Code, he demonstrates that writing code is becoming secondary to product thinking. The author argues that modern tools allow engineers to implement complex projects independently, bypassing traditional development stages and even design mockups in Figma. This changes the approach to software creation: now, even highly specialized utilities for a single user become economically viable. The programmer is evolving into a "product engineer" who focuses on solving specific problems rather than just writing syntax. The article discusses how this shift makes software truly personal and accessible, and how the interaction between design and implementation changes when prototyping is replaced by building a functional, ready-to-use application.