All Things Product with Teresa and Petra

By Petra Wille & Teresa Torres

All Things Product with Teresa and Petra – Unfiltered, insightful, and straight to the point.

Join Teresa Torres and Petra Wille as they dive into the world of product management—one topic at a time.... more

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FAQs about All Things Product with Teresa and Petra:

How many episodes does All Things Product with Teresa and Petra have?

The podcast currently has 19 episodes available.

All Things Product with Teresa and Petra episodes:

June 10, 2025What is Product Ops?
Key Topics Covered:
What product ops is not—and why the role is often misunderstood
Different models of product ops across organizations
Product ops vs. product leadership: where’s the line?
When to hire a product ops person (and when not to)
The enabling team model from Team Topologies
Why Teresa and Petra are wary of “methodology police” in discovery
How product ops can support skill building, analytics, and communication standards
The shipyard metaphor: keeping the environment healthy for empowered teams
Coaching as a product ops responsibility—helpful or risky?
Key Takeaways:
Product ops isn't a checklist hire—it’s a strategic move to fill specific gaps
The best product ops folks blend a product mindset with another core strength (e.g. analytics, L&D, change management)
Not all gaps should be filled by product ops—sometimes it’s about enabling HR, data, or leadership to step up
Product ops is a great career path for senior PMs who don’t want to move - into people leadership but still want to shape the organization
Resources & Links:
Follow Teresa Torres: https://ProductTalk.org
Follow Petra Wille: https://Petra-Wille.com
Mentioned in the episode:
Product Operations by Melissa Perri and Denise Tilles
Strong Product People and Strong Product Communities by Petra Wille
Learning and development (L&D)
Team Topologies by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais
Petra’s Coaching Cards (DIY Edition) / Purchase the DIY kit
Petra’s related blog posts on leading effective one-on-ones: - Struggling to Find the Time to Develop Your Product Managers? Start Here, - The Ultimate Coaching Question: What Are You Going to Do Differently?, and - The Product Leader’s Guide to Giving Feedback
A note from Petra: “In case people own my first book, 'Strong Product People, ' these chapters talk about 1:1s and coaching: Chapter 6: Identifying and Closing Product Manager Gaps, Chapter 7: The Power of Coaching, Chapter 8: Monitoring Performance and Giving Feedback (a good read for one-on-one prep), Chapter 10: Building Individual and Team Alignment, and Chapter 11: How to Find the Time? (especially helpful for busy leaders)."
...more
23min
June 03, 2025Measurable Outcomes
Key topics we cover:
Why not all outcomes need to be measurable—especially on day one
Teresa’s story: shifting from “applications” to “hires” as a more meaningful outcome
How to work toward measurable outcomes over time
Petra Wille explains how the HEART framework can help teams track value, not just numbers
The difference between metrics, signals, and goals
How to define outcomes when you're pre-product or pre-metrics
Why focusing on value creation moments leads to better product strategy
What most people get wrong about “finding product-market fit”
Resources & Links:
Follow Teresa Torres: https://ProductTalk.org
Follow Petra Wille: https://Petra-Wille.com
Mentioned in the episode:
Teresa’s blog post: Shifting from Outputs to Outcomes: Why It Matters and How to Get Started
Google’s HEART Framework
Teresa’s blog post: How Continuous Discovery Works (and Doesn’t) in Early-Stage Startups
Product/Market fit survey by Sean Ellis and GoPractice
...more
14min
May 27, 2025Giving and Taking in a Community
Topics Covered
The Trend That Sparked This Episode: Petra flags a shift she’s noticing: more folks joining communities asking, “What can I get?” instead of, “How can I help?”
Why Communities Matter: The unexpected long-term benefits of engaging in a community—and how the payoff often comes years down the road.
The Origin Story of Petra & Teresa’s Connection: A short, enthusiastic conference interaction leads to years of collaboration and friendship.
What Giving Actually Looks Like: The difference between offering value and unsolicited advice. (Spoiler: one builds trust, the other breaks it.)
Behind the Scenes of Conferences & Course Communities: How Petra and Teresa handle entitlement, scholarship requests, and volunteering—and why the approach matters.
Online Community Behavior: From Slack spamming to thoughtful sharing: how to show up well in digital spaces.
Choosing Where to Engage: Why less is more when it comes to online communities—and how to pick the right ones for deeper involvement.
Mentorship, Giving at Any Level, and the Power of Small Gestures: Even a thank-you note or recipe can go a long way. Giving isn’t transactional—it's relational.
Key Takeaways
Give before you ask. Community thrives when people contribute without - expecting immediate returns.
Quality > quantity. You don’t need to be everywhere—just pick a few communities and show up consistently.
A little effort goes a long way. Whether it's sharing your learnings or offering to help, even small contributions can lead to big connections.
Be mindful of timing and tone. Offering value is great—unless it’s delivered like a sales pitch or advice no one asked for.
Communities remember generosity. Years later, people still remember who offered help, not who just wanted the mic.
Resources & Links:
Follow Teresa Torres: https://ProductTalk.org
Follow Petra Wille: https://Petra-Wille.com
Mentioned in this episode:
Meetup
ProductTank
Slack
LinkedIn
Mind the Product San Francisco 2019
Petra’s Coaching Cards
Petra’s Books
Teresa’s Book
Barry O’Reilly’s book, Unlearn: Let Go of Past Success to Achieve Extraordinary Results
Teresa’s Product Discovery Courses
Teresa’s CDH Membership Community
Lenny’s Newsletter Slack Community
...more
34min
May 20, 2025Product vs. Project Operating Models
Topics Covered:
The Big Question: Can product and project models run side by side?
Defining the Operating Models: Breakdown of product vs. project models. Why outcomes vs. outputs matter.
Why the Shift Happened: How the history of software delivery shaped our current challenges.
When Project Models Still Make Sense: Examples like GDPR, accessibility, and other one-off initiatives.
Gray Areas and Edge Cases: Accessibility, internal compliance, and examples from Petra’s course work.
Framing Work as Product or Project: Why even product teams need to think in project terms sometimes.
Working Cross-Functionally: How to collaborate with HR, Finance, and other departments still in project mode.
Dual Lenses, Not Rival Camps: Seeing your work through both frameworks, depending on context and constraints.
Pattern Recognition Over Time: Learning when to switch models based on repeating challenges.
Feedback Loops and “Done-ness”: How feedback loops reveal whether work is actually finished—or just paused.
Key Takeaways:
Don’t get dogmatic: models are tools, not rules.
Project models work well for one-time, compliance-driven work.
Product models shine with evergreen challenges and durable teams.
You can—and often should—use both lenses.
Feedback loops help determine whether something is truly done.
Resources & Links:
Follow Teresa Torres: https://ProductTalk.org
Follow Petra Wille: https://Petra-Wille.com
Mentioned in the episode:
The Product Operating Model by Marty Cagan
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
Product Discovery Courses by Teresa
Okta
Outlook
...more
15min
May 13, 2025Saying No
Topics Covered:
Why saying no is an essential part of being a product manager
How to embrace the reality that there’s always more work than you can do
Creating systems for capturing and evaluating ideas from anywhere
Frameworks for deciding: Is it right for my team? Is it right right now?
How to manage stakeholder expectations with transparency and regular rituals
The difference between a hard no, a not yet, and an easy yes
The importance of small wins and the value of a "Friday afternoon list"
Balancing strategic focus with room for spontaneous moments of customer love
Key quotes:
"You’re not Santa Claus. You can’t give everyone what they want."
"Good ideas can come from anywhere — the hard part is choosing the right ones for right now."
"A motivated engineering team is sometimes the best outcome you can deliver."
Resources & Links:
Follow Teresa Torres: https://ProductTalk.org
Follow Petra Wille: https://Petra-Wille.com
Mentioned in the episode:
HIPPO prioritization model
Shifting from Outputs to Outcomes: Why It Matters and How to Get Started
6 Guiding Principles for Effective Product Discovery
Idea backlog
Ask the Community: What Do You Do When You Inherit a Giant Product Backlog?
Opportunity Solution Trees: Visualize Your Discovery to Stay Aligned and Drive Outcomes
How Linear builds product from Lenny’s Newsletter
Product Discovery Course by Teresa
...more
23min
May 06, 2025Leadership Professional Development
Topics Covered:
Why the Product at Heart leadership event in Barcelona was canceled—and what it taught us
The hidden stigma of coaching for leaders
Vulnerability as a leadership skill
The Learning Menu framework: how to invest in your development at any budget level
From free resources to high-ticket coaching—how to choose the right growth path
Reflection, journaling, and emotional resilience in product leadership
The importance of finding your learning “dojo”
How conferences offer more than just talks (think: peer benchmarking and teaching tactics)
Ethical coaching boundaries and what happens when coaching reveals misalignment
Resources & Links:
Follow Teresa Torres: https://ProductTalk.org
Follow Petra Wille: https://Petra-Wille.com
Mentioned in the episode:
Product at Heart
Product Talk Academy - Teresa’s Product Discovery Courses
Coaching for Product Leaders/Executives with Petra Wille
Behind the founder: Drew Houston (Dropbox) - Lenny Rachitsky’s podcast episode with Drew Houston
How the “Learning Menu” Concept Can Help Develop Your Product Team - Petra’s Learning Menu article
Harvard Business Review
Meetup
Product Talk Blog - Teresa’s blog
Product Leadership Blog - Petra’s blog
Product Talk Academy Free Mini Courses - Teresa’s free mini-course
Continuous Discovery Habits Membership - Teresa’s community for continuous discovery practitioners and features monthly leadership calls.
Quarterly Leadership Newsletter with Petra
Continuous Discovery Habits - Teresa’s book
STRONG Product People and STRONG Product Communities - Petra’s books
Workshops by David Bland and Jeff Gothelf
Maven Learning’s Lightning Lessons
Toastmasters International
Christina Wodtke’s book Present Yourself
Finding Your Learning Headline - from Petra’s blog post
...more
28min
April 29, 2025Big Backlogs
Topics Covered:
The problem with traditional prioritization models like ICE and RICE
Why “avoid prioritization at all costs” is more than just a catchy phrase
Comparing and contrasting vs. spreadsheet-driven guesswork
Tactical ways to clean up your backlog:
Auto-closing old tickets
Archiving items no one understands
Using themes, initiatives, and user group tagging
The "Inbox Zero" approach to product management
How to use strategic filters (outcomes + customer needs) instead of prioritizing everything
The importance of early wins when inheriting a new product or team
Time-boxed onboarding for product folks who are new to a team
Real-world stories & examples:
Petra shares how automatic ticket pruning saved hundreds of items
Teresa’s database “one-day project” that took a full week (and what it reveals about hidden work)
How to carve out time for discovery—even in a feature factory
Resources & Links:
Follow Teresa Torres: https://ProductTalk.org
Follow Petra Wille: https://Petra-Wille.com
Mentioned in the episode:
ICE, RICE, MICE, and VICE Scoring Models developed by Sean Ellis
Jira
My Organization Doesn't Work That Way - All Things Product with Teresa & Petra
Opportunity Solution Trees: Visualize Your Discovery to Stay Aligned and Drive Outcomes
Inbox Zero coined by Merlin Mann
Ask the Community: What Do You Do When You Inherit a Giant Product Backlog?
STRONG Product People: A Complete Guide to Developing Great Product Managers - Book by Petra Wille
Illustration from Petra’s book about early wins and building trust during onboarding
...more
20min
April 22, 2025Iterating on Product Strategy
Topics Covered
What is product strategy anyway?
The myth of the “explicit strategy” in most companies
What discovery tells us about implicit strategy
How product teams influence (and challenge) strategy
Why writing any strategy down is better than none
Shifting from top-down to emergent strategy
The role of product leaders: Think customer interviews, but with your teams
Balancing long-term macro trends with day-to-day user discovery
Strategy ≠ roadmap: Keeping your plan for winning alive and adaptive
Case studies: Intercom, Spotify, and strategy-in-action
Product teams as strategic sensors: Patterns, signals, and customer segments
Building strategy into quarterly and annual planning cadences
Wrapping up: Strategy is iterative—so treat it that way
Resources & Links:
Follow Teresa Torres: https://ProductTalk.org
Follow Petra Wille: https://Petra-Wille.com
Mentioned in this episode:
Roger Martin’s definition of strategy
Lenny’s Podcast with Chandra Janakiraman, where he shares a framework for developing strategy
Megan Murphy’s “priming the wall” concept, introduced in her talk at the - MTP Engage Leadership Forum
7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy by Hamilton Helmer
Blue Ocean Strategy
Porter's Five Forces Framework
Good Strategy Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters by Richard Rumelt
SWOT analysis
Intercom’s Fin AI
Spotify
...more
22min
April 15, 2025Crafting a Conference Talk
Topics Covered:
Why more people should consider public speaking—and how to get started
How Petra approaches talk creation: mind maps, card decks, and structured rehearsal
Teresa’s top-down talk-building method focused on audience transformation
What makes a good “first talk” (hint: show your work!)
Why meetup organizers want to hear from new speakers—especially women and underrepresented voices
Tips for managing stage fright, finding your voice, and choosing your topic
How big-stage talks (like Product at Heart and Y Oslo) come together over months
The surprising power of impromptu lines—and how to leave room for them
Matching your prep process to your stage and experience level
How public speaking sharpens your thinking and deepens your learning
Resources & Links:
Follow Teresa Torres: https://ProductTalk.org
Follow Petra Wille: https://Petra-Wille.com
Mentioned in the episode:
How I Go About Creating a Talk: My Step-by-Step Process by Petra Wille
Nancy Duarte's books
Myers–Briggs Type Indicator
Opportunity Solution Trees: Visualize Your Discovery to Stay Aligned and Drive Outcomes
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
Cicero Public Speaking Deck – Petra’s go-to tool for structuring talks
Melissa Suzuno - our mutual blog editor
Places to give your first talks:
Meetup
ProductTank
ProductCamp
Toastmasters International
Conferences mentioned:
TED
Product at Heart
Product Management Festival
Mind the Product Conference
Some of our talks:
Continuous Discovery Habits with Teresa for Y Oslo
Managing Up with Petra for Y Oslo
Justify Your Product Decisions and get Stakeholder Buy in – Teresa Torres, Mind the Product SF 2019
Even You Can Do Continuous Discovery - Bringing the - Discovery Habits to Every Organization – Teresa Torres, - Product at Heart 2023
...more
33min
April 08, 2025Capacity Planning
Key Takeaways:
Why capacity planning often fails outcome-driven teams
How teams can self-align without overcommitting
Reframing quarterly planning to support discovery work
A listener call-to-action: what’s actually working for you?
Resources & Links:
Follow Teresa Torres: https://ProductTalk.org
Follow Petra Wille: https://Petra-Wille.com
Mentioned in the episode:
Capacity planning
Product Discovery Basics: Everything You Need to Know
Yesterday's Weather methodology
The rocks, pebbles, and sand analogy
The problem-solution-implementation-discovery model from Petra’s Coaching Illustrations
Assumption Testing: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started
Shifting from Outputs to Outcomes: Why It Matters and How to Get Started
...more
16min

FAQs about All Things Product with Teresa and Petra:

How many episodes does All Things Product with Teresa and Petra have?

The podcast currently has 19 episodes available.