Learning Together - All Things Product Podcast with Teresa Torres & Petra Wille

Listen to this episode on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts

What's the best way to invest in your team's professional development — train everyone at once, let people self-direct, or something in between?

Petra Wille and Teresa Torres explore why the sweet spot might not be what most organizations default to. They share real examples from their work with product teams and leaders — from book clubs to group coaching — and make a case for small, intentional groups as a powerful (and underused) learning model.

Three Models of Team Learning

Train everyone at once — builds shared language, but not everyone is ready at the same time
Self-directed learning — works for highly motivated individuals, but lacks accountability
Small-group learning — the sweet spot: peer accountability, shared momentum, and just-in-time relevance

Why Learning Together Works

Creates natural accountability and deadlines
Helps people apply concepts to their own real work
Especially valuable for product leaders, who rarely have built-in peers to learn alongside

Group Coaching vs. One-on-One Coaching

Individual: sounding board, holding space, powerful questions
Group/team: real work in the room, peer learning, bridges between leaders who rarely collaborate
Keep participants as close colleagues — trust and vulnerability go up when people already know each other

Key Takeaways