All Things Product with Teresa and Petra

Staying Sane

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What we cover:

  • Why the world can feel overwhelming—and why that feeling makes sense
  • “Create the world you want to live in” through small, consistent actions
  • Values-based decisions in professional life (speaking gigs, sustainability, representation)
  • Trade-offs: you can’t do everything perfectly, but you can keep improving
  • Petra’s “under-complexity” lens: oversimplified narratives increase fear and anxiety
  • Staying connected across differences without feeding polarization
  • Getting more nuance by reading multiple perspectives (and why it matters)
  • Media as a proxy vs. human-to-human connection and curiosity
  • Using your platform responsibly—even if it’s “small”
  • When speaking up matters: drawing lines, weighing impact, and not “staying in your lane”
  • The power of local community: “don’t mess with my neighbors” as a grounding frame
  • Finding moments of joy and solidarity even in hard times

    • Memorable ideas & quotes:

    • “Something is better than nothing”—apply continuous improvement to living your values.
    • Build bridges, reduce proxies, and look people in the eye when topics get heated.
    • Seek nuance: the same story looks different depending on who’s telling it.
    • Don’t underestimate the reach of your platform—small signals can snowball.
    • Start local: community care is often the most grounded form of advocacy.

      • Examples mentioned:

      • Teresa’s approach: voting, attending public protests, and connecting with others who share values
      • Choosing not to participate in events that don’t align with representation values (e.g., heavily male stages)
      • Questioning travel expectations for short talks when virtual options exist
      • Joining a nonprofit board as a way to contribute meaningfully (World Pulse)
      • Petra’s approach: learning deeply about topics instead of relying on “Instagrammified” summaries
      • Angel investing in agriculture-related topics as a tangible, grounding counterbalance to “internet reality”

        • Practical takeaways (try this):

        • Pick one “small lever” you can control this week: where you spend money, time, attention, or platform.
        • Add nuance on purpose: read at least two different perspectives on a story before you react.
        • Replace proxies with people: talk to someone directly affected, or someone living in a different context.
        • Reduce polarization where you can: stay curious, ask “what shaped that view?” before judging it.
        • Go local: connect with neighbors, community groups, or local events—small actions compound.

          • If this episode resonated, share it with a friend or teammate who’s been feeling the weight of the world lately—and tell us: what’s one small, values-aligned action you’re taking this month?

          Resources & Links:

          • Follow Teresa Torres: https://ProductTalk.org
          • Follow Petra Wille: https://Petra-Wille.com

            • Mentioned in the episode:

            • World Pulse (nonprofit focused on connecting women’s voices globally)
            • The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal (as contrasting perspectives)
            • Tangle (a newsletter/publication summarizing “what the left says / what the right says / editor’s take,” sometimes including perspectives from affected communities) by Isaac Saul
            • Ghost (open-source publishing platform used by some journalism orgs)
            • MENA Product Summit ‘26
            • Jeff Merrell (Teresa’s colleague in Northwestern University)
            • No Kings Protest
              • ...more
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              All Things Product with Teresa and PetraBy Petra Wille & Teresa Torres