End of Year Reflection

Show notes

What We Cover:

• Why annual reflection matters for product people
• How Petra and Teresa each started their reflection habits
• The evolution from rigid goals to values and themes
• How paper notebooks, art projects, and “Dear Data” shaped Petra’s approach
• The influence of Chris Guillebeau’s annual review process on Teresa
• The difference between outcome goals and process goals
• How reflection helps uncover unrealistic expectations (and let them go)
• The “100 wishes” exercise — why it’s powerful and surprisingly difficult
• How to recognize patterns across years to guide future decisions
• Building in spaciousness vs. over-scheduling
• What to do when the year doesn’t go to plan (and why that’s normal)
• Why your reflection process should flex with how you learn and stay motivated
• The role of values, themes, and decade-level intentions
• Balancing public sharing with private processing

Resources & Links:

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

Mentioned in the episode:

• Dear Data by Giorgia Lupi & Stefanie Posavec
• Chris Guillebeau’s How to Conduct Your Own Annual Review from The Art of Nonconformity blog
• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Dealing with Setbacks - All Things Product with Teresa & Petra
• Stefan Sagmeister’s The Power of Time Off (TED Talk)
• Previous episode - Role of Leadership in Transformations
• Paul Graham’s Maker’s Schedule, Manager’s Schedule
• What I’m Saying No to This Year—And Why blog post by Teresa
• Ask Teresa: My Leaders Still Want Roadmaps with Timelines—What Should I Do? blog post by Teresa
• Scaling Impact: A Look at the Year Ahead (2022) blog post by Teresa
• Let’s Connect in 2025: A Look at the Year Ahead blog post by Teresa
• The Interview Coach by Teresa
• Petra’s reflections and her 2026 version