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FOMO - All Things Product Podcast with Teresa Torres & Petra Wille

FOMO - All Things Product Podcast with Teresa Torres & Petra Wille

Listen to this episode on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts

In the AI era, new tools seem to appear every week. It’s exciting—but it can also feel overwhelming. How do you keep up without burning out?

In this episode, Petra Wille and Teresa Torres talk about how they deal with FOMO when it comes to new technology—especially in the fast-moving world of AI. They share how they decide which tools are worth exploring, why they don’t try everything that trends on social media, and how focusing on real problems helps them go deeper instead of chasing every shiny new thing.

Teresa explains why she starts with opportunities and friction rather than solutions, while Petra shares how she time-boxes learning and experiments with new tools during dedicated learning time. Together they explore practical ways to stay curious about new technology while staying focused on what actually matters.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re falling behind because you haven’t tried the latest AI tool yet, this conversation will help you rethink how you approach learning and experimentation.

In This Episode
The pace of innovation—especially in AI—can make it feel like you need to try every new tool the moment it launches. Petra and Teresa discuss how they manage that pressure and stay focused on meaningful experimentation rather than constant tool-chasing.
They explore why starting with a problem is more valuable than starting with a tool, how social media amplifies technology FOMO, and why going deeper with fewer tools can lead to better learning.

Key Topics

  • Why AI innovation can create a constant sense of FOMO
  • How to decide which tools are actually worth exploring
  • Starting with friction or problems instead of solutions
  • Why experimenting with fewer tools can lead to deeper learning
  • The difference between interesting vs. actionable inputs
  • How social media amplifies technology hype cycles
  • Creating boundaries between work, experimentation, and learning

Key Takeaways

  1. Don’t start with tools—start with problems.
    Instead of trying every new technology, Teresa waits until she encounters friction or a real need before exploring a tool.
  2. Going deeper beats trying everything.
    Exploring fewer tools in the context of real problems often leads to better understanding and more meaningful outcomes.
  3. Separate “interesting” from “actionable.”
    Not everything worth reading about needs immediate action. Sometimes awareness is enough until a real opportunity arises.
  4. Create intentional learning time.
    Petra blocks time to explore emerging technologies so experimentation doesn’t overwhelm her day-to-day work.
  5. Curiosity doesn’t require constant experimentation.
    Staying informed about new tools is valuable—but that doesn’t mean you need to try them all immediately.

Discussion Question

How do you decide which new tools or technologies are worth exploring—and which ones you can safely ignore?

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