About the Book | The Broken Telephone

Software development suffers from a "broken telephone" problem. Customer needs pass through multiple intermediaries before reaching developers. By the time requirements become code, the original intent is often lost.

The Thesis

This book argues that the traditional separation between "business people" and "technical people" is becoming obsolete. Through a combination of Founder Mode thinking and AI-powered tools, developers can evolve into Product Engineers—builders who understand customer problems directly and ship solutions faster than ever before.

What Makes This Book Different

✓ Combines practical experience with 2025 industry data (McKinsey, Gartner, GitHub research)
✓ Written using AI assistance—demonstrating the transformation it describes
✓ Conversational tone, avoiding academic jargon while maintaining rigor
✓ Real case studies from Airbnb, Linear, Atlassian, and more

Book Structure

Part I: The Broken System

Chapters 1-3 • The information cascade, Product Owner crisis, developer disconnect

Part II: The Founder Mode Revolution

Chapters 4-6 • Paul Graham's thesis, counter-arguments, the great flattening

Part III: The Rise of the Product Engineer

Chapters 7-10 • The new developer profile, the pyramid model, PM evolution

Part IV: AI as the Great Enabler

Chapters 11-15 • New workflows, the open bar problem, DDD for AI

Part V: The AI-Powered Company

Chapters 16-22 • Industry data 2025: engineering, product, GTM, HR, ROI

Part VI: Modern Product Organization

Chapters 23-25 • Organizational design, triad model, experimentation

Part VII: The Talent Landscape

Chapters 26-27 • The great adjustment, three pillars of modern talent

Part VIII: Practical Implementation

Chapters 28-30 • Making the transition, future of software development

Part IX: The Zero-Employee Startup

Chapters 31-35 • Solo founder renaissance, AI-native stack, limits and challenges

Who Should Read This Book

Software Developers seeking career evolution
Product Managers navigating role changes
Engineering Leaders building modern teams
CTOs and VPs driving transformation
Startup Founders leveraging AI
Business Leaders understanding tech evolution