Dealing With Setbacks

Show notes

Topics Covered:

The emotional reality of dealing with setbacks — both personal and professional
Why it’s okay (and necessary) to grieve product failures
How leaders can create space for teams to recover before jumping into post-mortems
The danger of tying performance too tightly to outcomes
How continuous discovery builds resilience by normalizing failure
Using the 10–10–10 framework (from Decisive by Chip & Dan Heath) to gain perspective on setbacks

Key Takeaways:

Setbacks are not just inevitable — they’re part of doing meaningful product work.
Giving teams time and space to process failure builds long-term resilience.
Mourning losses is just as important as celebrating wins.
Healthy discovery cultures embrace reflection, psychological safety, and emotional honesty.
Staying consistent with discovery habits helps teams recover faster and learn more deeply.

Notable Moments:

[00:02:00] Teresa shares the story of her injury and what it’s taught her about patience and setbacks.
[00:10:00] Petra talks about a team whose carefully planned launch didn’t move a single KPI.
[00:20:00] Discussion on allowing space for grief and frustration after failure.
[00:30:00] Why organizations must decouple performance reviews from short-term outcomes.
[00:40:00] How continuous discovery can help teams normalize — and even learn to appreciate — setbacks.

Resources & Links:

Mentioned in the episode:

Decisive by Chip & Dan Heath — The 10–10–10 framework for perspective in decision-making
Teresa Torres’ Continuous Discovery Habits — Building resilience through ongoing discovery practices.