Build like you own it

Most developers have worked on personal projects at some point. They keep your mind fresh.

Think about how you approach them.

When you work on your own projects, you usually have some outcome in mind: a tool that fixes your own problem, learning, or simply having fun.

So why should that mindset be limited to personal projects, as it often is?

Of course, work is different. There are deadlines, priorities, budgets, existing systems, and many people involved in decision-making.

Still, one question is useful to ask now and then: How would I approach this if the product were mine?

It changes the perspective.

Instead of focusing only on the task, you start thinking about the outcome. Instead of asking what needs to be implemented, you ask what problem is being solved.

Enter product thinking

Today, developers have more tools available than ever before. Open source software, cloud platforms, AI assistants and agents, deployment automation, and mature libraries have removed much of the heavy lifting that used to slow teams down.

As a result, individual developers can have a bigger impact than they could ten or fifteen years ago.

And this is where product thinking walks in.

When execution becomes easier, the value is in understanding the product, the users, and the business well enough to make good decisions. Even for a single developer.

Think bigger

This is also where thinking big matters. Not in the sense of building bigger systems, but in seeing bigger opportunities. Modern tools allow developers to improve products in ways that were difficult or impossible just a few years ago.

This combination of product thinking, thinking big, and modern technology was seen during our hackfest held recently at Alma Media. Global teams presented impressive solutions built in just 48 hours. In the age of AI, even the nights can be productive, because the agents keep working.

I was truly impressed.

I sincerely hope we can bring the same mindset into our product teams every day.

Building a culture where developers own outcomes

At Alma Media, we are trying to build a culture where developers have a stronger voice in product decisions and more responsibility for outcomes.

Not because every developer should become a product manager, but because good products are built when technical and product thinking come together.

The tools and opportunities are there.

Build like you own it.

The author is the Director of Digital Development for Alma Marketplaces segment, Simo Syrjänen. He got his first software job through a trainee program at another company years ago. According to him, the best things at Alma are the professional colleagues and fantastic products.

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