Your first step, Build a fullstack Blog

In my last post I showed how I use a coding agent in the IDE for PM tasks and document generation. Now let's go deeper.

Today, more than ever, product managers need to develop technical capabilities. Personally, I always thought it was an important trait, but the latest developments in vibe coding (using AI agents to build software through natural language) will take it all the way to 11 — (yes, that's a Spinal Tap 🎸 reference). Only old people will get it, but I strongly recommend watching it. You're welcome.

The point is: technical expectations for PMs are being pushed further than most realize. The product managers' role will not stop at writing documents and PRDs. They are expected to build prototypes and test them with customers.

Yes, one-shot tools like Replit and V0 exist — but they fall apart the moment you need real complexity, and you would need to find your way in order to make things operational.

So let's say you are convinced that you should raise your technical capabilities, but not sure where to start. My suggestion: start with a simple blog but make it end to end.

Why a Blog? It is the simplest form of project technically that still touches every link in the chain. At the same time, that project is also a great gym for your classical PM muscles.

Here's everything a blog teaches you — and why it maps directly to your work as a PM:

1. Front end - Build web pages with HTML, style with CSS, add a little bit of sparkle with JavaScript and connect the UIs and forms with your data with ERB (Embedded Ruby)

2. Routes - Defining different endpoints for the different resources. `yourendpoint/posts` for public viewing and `yourendpoint/admin/posts` to edit these posts. At the same time you will learn about CRUD operations (create, read, update, delete) and how they are exposed as REST APIs with these endpoints

3. Backend, logic and Databases - modeling your entities, coming up with simple logic (e.g. required fields) and raising errors when these are not filled. As the application evolves you will need to update the database without losing all the data (Ruby calls these migration scripts)

4. Authentication - your readers need no authentication, but your `yourendpoint/admin/posts` would need protection

5. Running locally - you will first develop the website on your machine and run it locally to see that everything works

6. Push to Production - find a name for your website, buy a URL and start hosting it somewhere. You will learn how to move your local code to the server and finally make it available for everyone to visit

7. Analytics - don't forget adding a tracker to the application (I am using Google Analytics). It will tell you which posts were visited, from what geography and how long visitors spent on the page. It will allow you to figure out the source of your visitors — did they come directly to your website, or did they come from a post you shared on social media?

8. Distribution and Growth - the fact that you built it doesn't mean people will visit. You would need to make some noise about it, publishing in platforms where it would interest your audience and hopefully they will come and read what you have to say. Try LinkedIn, Reddit, X, Facebook, Telegram, etc.
You will also learn how SEO works and how to optimize it.

9. Writing - building forces you to clarify your thinking. Shipping a blog means you now have a public body of work, not just a CV

It is now easier than ever to build such side projects with a coding agent that will lead you step by step through the process.

Spoiler: In the next post I will try to convince you to pick Ruby on Rails as your stack — stay tuned.

DM me if you want help getting started.