4 min read  ·  Monday, August 11, 2025

"This is Technically Complex": How to Work Better with Your Engineers

"Where product vision meets engineering execution."

If you’re a Product Manager, you’ve probably heard this phrase, “This is Technically Complex”, from your engineering team a time or two. It can feel like a roadblock, a sign that you’re not on the same page, or just a heads-up that things are about to get tricky. How you handle that moment can make or break your product and your relationship with the engineering team!

Here’s the deal: that gap between product and engineering isn’t something to be scared of. It’s a bridge you can build! And that bridge is built with clear communication, getting on the same page about what’s important, and having a ton of mutual respect. Let’s dive into how you can make that happen and turn those tricky moments into awesome teamwork.

✍️ Tip 1: Write Super Clear Requirements

Fuzzy requirements are a recipe for disaster. When things are vague, engineers have to guess what you mean, which leads to doing work over again, missing deadlines, and building something that users don’t even want. To stop that from happening, your PRDs and user stories need to be crystal clear.

How to Be Super Clear:

• Always Start with “Why”: Don’t just say what to build; explain why it matters. What problem are you solving for the user? How does this help the business? Giving your team that context helps them make smarter technical choices.
• Try the Gherkin Format: It sounds fancy, but it’s a super simple way to write out what needs to happen. Just follow the Given-When-Then formula:
  • Given: What’s the setup? (e.g., “Given the user is on the login page.”)
  • When: What does the user do? (e.g., “When they type in the right password and click ‘Login’.”)
  • Then: What’s the result? (e.g., “Then they should get sent to their dashboard.”)
• Define What “Done” Means: Seriously, what does it mean for a feature to be finished? Does it have to be live for customers? Does it need some documentation? Agreeing on a “Definition of Done” keeps things from getting stuck in “almost-done” purgatory.
• Draw a Picture! A picture is worth a thousand lines of code, right? Use simple wireframes, mockups, or flowcharts to show how things should work. It’s often the quickest way to get everyone on the same page.

⚖️ Tip 2: Get Good at Talking Trade-offs

Being a PM is all about juggling. You’re constantly weighing speed against quality, new features against fixing old tech problems, or adding more stuff against staying on budget. These chats can get a little tense, but they’re so important for building a product that lasts.