Keeping current on research and synthetic users

In This Episode:

• Why Teresa sunset the live deep-dive cohorts—and how on-demand and the new Discovery Habits Toolbox better support real behavior change.
• What leaders actually need to coach interviewing, assumption testing, and core discovery habits inside their orgs.
• Why training is shifting toward ongoing, leader-supported learning (and how AI will accelerate the shift).
• Teresa’s move into paid subscriptions and why AI content doesn’t fit the classic “design once, run for years” course model.
• A sneak peek into the AI tools Teresa is building for discovery work—from interview coaching to near-ready interview snapshot generation.
• Petra’s plans for the year: community building with Product at Heart, a new product leadership email course, her Product Leadership Wheel, and workshops launching in Cairo.
• The role of conferences and retreats in staying grounded, inspired, and connected.
• How Teresa is staying on top of academic research (and why “synthetic users” aren’t ready for prime time).
• The shared challenge of evaluating vendors and conference speakers making questionable AI claims.

Key Takeaways:

• Delivery models matter. Cohorts can be great, but some skills—especially discovery habits—require ongoing reinforcement inside the organization.
• Leaders need coaching tools, not just training. Teams can’t apply discovery habits sustainably without managers who know how to guide them.
• AI is reshaping how we teach and how teams learn. But it’s also creating a need for more rigorous evaluation of claims.
• Experimentation is the theme of 2026. Whether it’s AI workflows, new product formats, or rethinking GTM for teaching tools, both Petra and Teresa are leaning into exploration.
• Community still energizes. Conferences, workshops, and shared learning environments continue to play a key role—even for seasoned leaders.

Resources & Links:

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

Mentioned in the episode:

• Teresa’s website: Product Talk
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
• Product Talk Academy
• Deliberate Practice - ATP episode where Teresa talked about the ending live cohorts for Deep Dive classes
• Teresa’s Discovery Habits Toolbox program
• Petra’s A 52-Week Transformation Journey
• Teresa’s Product Talk subscriptions (AI workflows + discovery content)
• Claude Code
• The Interview Coach by Teresa
• Product at Heart Conference (Hamburg)
• Petra’s Coaching Packages
• Petra’s Ways We Can Work Together
• Petra’s Product Leadership Wheel (PLwheel)
• Petra’s Product Manager (PMwheel)
• Prdkt+ MENA Product Summit 2026
• World Beautiful Business Forum by House of Beautiful Business
• Melissa Suzuno
• Vistaly (Teresa’s integration partner for some upcoming AI tools)
• Teresa’s Just Now Possible podcast