Why “go find the source” is a crucial product mindsetThe danger of relying on second- or third-hand takesReal examples: OKRs, Jobs to Be Done, North Star Metric, Opportunity Solution TreesHow to identify reputable sources—and red flags to watch forTips for curating your own learning journey (books, blogs, podcasts)How social media can distort ideas (even when people have good intentions)Primary > Secondary: Always seek out original thinkers or practitioners, not just content repackagers.Go deeper than LinkedIn tiles: Good frameworks get diluted when simplified for social media. Go back to the original articles, books, or talks.Read with range: Challenge yourself to find three different sources—especially with diverse backgrounds or perspectives.Don’t trust content without citations: Like in academia, a lack of references is a red flag.Practitioner voices matter: Look for people sharing what they’re actually doing, not just what “should” be done.Follow Teresa Torres: https://ProductTalk.org Follow Petra Wille: https://Petra-Wille.comMentioned in the episode:
Radical Focus by Christina WodtkeJobs to Be Done Theory by Clayton ChristensenJobs to be Done: Theory to Practice by Anthony W. UlwickThe Jobs-to-be-Done Handbook: Practical techniques for improving your application of Jobs-to-be-Done by Bob Moesta and Chris SpiekSTRONG product people: A Complete Guide to Developing Great Product Managers by Petra WilleObjectives and key results (OKR, alternatively OKRs) by Andrew Grove who introduced the approach to Intel. It was then popularized by Google and John Doerr’s book, Measure What MattersAmplitude’s North Star PlaybookOpportunity Solution Trees: Visualize Your Discovery to Stay Aligned and Drive Outcomes by Teresa TorresA Crucial Turning Point: OKRs in Conversation with Rick KlauHow Google sets goals: OKRs / Startup Lab Workshop by GV (Google Ventures)Some of Teresa and Petra’s favorite original sources:
John Cutler’s The Beautiful MessChristina WodtkeScandinavian Product Podcast by Afonso FrancoFrom Endless Growth to Equitable Prosperity by Ronnie VargheseShane Parrish’s Farnam StreetFrancesca Cortesi (formerly at HemnetProduct at Heart Video ArchiveMind the Product BlogThe Intercom BlogFigma BlogAmplitude BlogBeauty Shot Newsletter by Tim Leberecht & House of Beautiful