Happy New Year!

January 13, 2026

22 min episode · 2 min read

Petra Villa,Theresa Schwartz

Episode

22 min

Read time

2 min

AI-Generated Summary

Published Jan 13, 2026

Key Takeaways

✓Course delivery transformation: Torres eliminates live cohorts to create space for AI tool development, converting deep dive courses to on-demand format for consumers while launching a Discovery Habits Toolbox subscription for companies with leader coaching playbooks.
✓AI teaching tools strategy: Torres builds AI products like an interview coach and interview snapshot generator, navigating the tension between teaching synthesis skills versus providing automated solutions for time-constrained product teams still learning discovery habits.
✓Leader coaching gap: Discovery interviews revealed leaders want to coach teams on skills like interviewing and assumption testing but lack the expertise themselves, creating demand for curriculum paired with coaching playbooks rather than standalone training workshops.
✓Academic research vetting: Using Claude for literature reviews, Torres investigates synthetic user claims and finds vendor promises exceed academic validation, planning to publish research reports helping teams evaluate AI discovery tool purchases with realistic expectations.

What It Covers

Teresa Torres and Petra Wille share their 2026 business plans, including Torres transitioning from cohort-based courses to on-demand learning with AI tools, and Wille expanding her product leadership coaching program and assessment framework.

Key Questions Answered

•Course delivery transformation: Torres eliminates live cohorts to create space for AI tool development, converting deep dive courses to on-demand format for consumers while launching a Discovery Habits Toolbox subscription for companies with leader coaching playbooks.
•AI teaching tools strategy: Torres builds AI products like an interview coach and interview snapshot generator, navigating the tension between teaching synthesis skills versus providing automated solutions for time-constrained product teams still learning discovery habits.
•Leader coaching gap: Discovery interviews revealed leaders want to coach teams on skills like interviewing and assumption testing but lack the expertise themselves, creating demand for curriculum paired with coaching playbooks rather than standalone training workshops.
•Academic research vetting: Using Claude for literature reviews, Torres investigates synthetic user claims and finds vendor promises exceed academic validation, planning to publish research reports helping teams evaluate AI discovery tool purchases with realistic expectations.

Notable Moment

Torres reveals she cannot release some podcast episodes after interviews expose that teams claiming AI implementations actually have minimal or no AI functionality, highlighting widespread misrepresentation in the current market landscape.

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