Product Leadership Blog

When OpenAI unveiled a new ChatGPT voice interface in 2024, Sam Altman posted one word on X. "her." This simple post earned 21 million views. He wasn't describing a product feature. He was pointing at a 2013 Spike Jonze movie called Her, in which a man falls in love with his AI assistant. Jonze wrote it as a meditation on loneliness, on what happens when technology starts filling the spaces that human relationships leave behind. It was not written as a product spec. And yet here was the CEO of one of the most influential AI companies in the world, pointing at it and saying: This is the direction. This is what we're building toward.

AI TransformationPetra Wille29 October 2026AI, Generative AI, Artificial Intelligence, Leadership

AI Show & Tell: Vetting Ideas and Uncovering Assumptions with AI Agents - An Interview with Anne Schulte

As a product person, you quickly learn the art of saying no. You have brilliant colleagues who come up with all kinds of ideas, and you'll only ever be able to invest in a small fraction of them.

AI TransformationPetra Wille21 October 2026AI, Artificial Intelligence, Examples, AI Use Cases

Where I'm Heading - How My Offer Is Changing

In my time as a product coach, I’ve seen countless changes within our industry and ways of working—I don’t think I need to list them all here, but let’s just say that there have been many waves of disruption and transformation over the past decade.

All blog posts, PersonalPetra Wille15 October 2026Coaching

Organizational Change Is Exhausting: All Things Product with Teresa and Petra

Over the past year, I’ve been heads down, focused on building my leadership course, From STRONG to Exceptional. And while many of my other projects have been humming along in the background, I haven’t always shared them regularly here on my blog.

Petra Wille7 September 2026Podcast, all things product

Embracing Change at Product at Heart 2026

Every year, co-organizer Arne Kittler and I choose one word to define the event, and this year the choice was obvious: change. We’re in a moment where change is coming at us relentlessly, and as unsettling as it is, as product people we have many skills in our back pockets that we can put to good use.

Petra Wille21 July 2026

On helping write the Makers Manifesto

I'm still a massive fan of the Agile Manifesto. A small, sharp document that shaped how our whole industry works. So when Faith Forster reached out and asked if I wanted to help create a manifesto for AI product working principles, my honest first reaction was hesitation. The Agile Manifesto set such a high bar. Was this even the right moment, with the field still in so much flux? Could we get the right people in the room? Would a big, collaborative group land on something meaningful enough to deserve the word "manifesto"?

All blog posts, AI TransformationPetra Wille17 June 2026Makers Manifesto, AI

The Future Is Not Yet Invented: The Product Leader’s Influence on the World We All Will Live in

I was walking along the sea this morning, listening to Marcant—a German anti-far-right activist and content creator—being interviewed on Hotel Matze, one of Germany's most widely listened-to podcasts.

Human Connection and Longing for Hope: Reflections from the World Beautiful Business Forum

When winter is on the doorstep, some birds fly south to find warmth and nutrition. Like these birds, more than 1,000 people from all over the world made their way to Athens one week in early May to escape their usual day-to-day worklife and experience some human connection and warmth while getting their own thinking challenged...

Reflections on Product at Heart’s 2026 Leadership Event

2026 has looked different from previous years in a number of ways. I don’t need to talk about all of them here (we’d be here all day!). But there’s one in particular I’d like to focus on: Along with Product at Heart co-organizer Arne Kittler, I made the decision to transform the Leadership Event from a half day folded into the main conference into a standalone 1.5-day event. We believed the Leadership Event needed a little more focus, dedication, and the chance to shine on its own.

Role of Leadership in Transformations: All Things Product with Teresa and Petra

Are you helping or hurting your company’s product transformation? Answering this question requires taking an honest look at your own comfort and familiarity with the product operating model, which isn’t always easy.

In a recent episode of All Things Product, Teresa and I sat down to discuss the role of leadership in transformations. We think this question deserves your attention because transformation doesn’t stick unless leaders change how they work.

All Things ProductPetra Wille4 May 2026all things product

How to Lead When You Can't Predict What's Coming: Think in Scenarios

Something I've been noticing in a lot of my coaching conversations lately: Decisions feel harder right now. Not because product leaders suddenly got worse at making them. If anything, making decisions with incomplete information has always been one of the core skills of this job. You rarely have all the data. You're used to operating in ambiguity. That's not new.

All blog posts, Product LeadershipPetra Wille29 April 2026AI, Strategy, Foresight, Product Leadership

Where in the World Is Petra? Chances to Meet in 2026

So much of our lives takes place online these days. But that only highlights the importance of in-person meetings and connections. I’ll be speaking and leading workshops throughout 2026. If you’ve been craving the chance to catch up in real-time and nerd out about all things product leadership, you’re cordially invited to join me!

All blog posts, On stage and on airPetra Wille8 April 2026Conference, Meetup, Meet

Building Your Leadership Support Team

I've had quite a few coaching conversations over the past few weeks with exhausted product leaders. December and January tend to be like that—people are wrapping up the year, looking ahead to the next one, and asking themselves: "How do I make 2026 less stressful than 2025?"It's a good question. An important one.

All blog posts, Product LeadershipPetra Wille16 February 2026Support Team, Product Leadership

Shaping Clarity: How Alexandru Dina-Gargala Transformed Temedica’s Product Operating Model

When Alex Dina-Gargala stepped into his new role as VP of Product & Technology at Temedica—a health insights company turning real-world patient data into actionable evidence—he saw both opportunities and areas to strengthen. The product teams were delivering meaningful work, but without a shared product operating model it was harder to reach the optimal level of clarity, alignment, and autonomy.

The PLwheel in Action: How Product Leaders at ING Netherlands are Defining Excellence

What makes a product leader “good” at their job? If you’re not sure how to answer that question, you’re not alone. After ten years of working with product leaders, I realized that it’s incredibly rare for companies to have consistent frameworks or rubrics that allow them to define what good product leadership looks like. Until now!

What I’m dedicating 2026 to: A look at the year ahead

It’s time for yet another annual review! I love taking this time to reflect on the past year and to look ahead to the next one. (If you’re interested in seeing any previous years’ editions, you can browse through them here.) Going through this exercise gives me the chance to celebrate the wins, to learn from the mistakes or missteps, and to approach the new year with a clear sense of purpose and direction.

All blog posts, PersonalPetra Wille15 December 2025Personal Retro, Reflection, the Year Ahead

Why Context, Not Just Data, Will Define AI-Ready Product Teams

You've probably had this conversation recently: a stakeholder, maybe even your CEO, pulls you aside and asks, "What do we need to consider now to make our organization AI future-ready?"

All blog posts, Product LeadershipPetra Wille28 October 2025AI, Newsletter, Context Design

Why It’s Time to Forget the Project vs. Product Operating Model Debate

I know, I know. You saw the headline and probably rolled your eyes a little. "Product operating model versus project operating model? Really, Petra? In 2025? Haven’t we moved past this already?" I hear you. And honestly? Part of me wishes we had.

AI Evals and Discovery: All Things Product with Teresa and Petra

Welcome to autumn! We’re kicking off the new season with a hot topic on the All Things Product podcast: AI evals and discovery. In just a few days, this episode has come close to breaking our record of the most views on YouTube, so clearly it’s a topic that’s resonating.

All Things Product, Product Management TipsPetra Wille1 October 2025AI, all things product

Your Year of Leadership Transformation: How I Designed a Course to Help Product Leaders Thrive

Are you a product leader who wants to invest in yourself for more professional growth? Look no further—my course is here to help! Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with countless product leaders—bright, ambitious people navigating the complexities of leadership while striving to create exceptional products. Coaching them has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career. Yet, no matter how many leaders I’ve worked with, one challenge has always loomed in the back of my mind: Coaching doesn’t scale.

All blog posts, PLwheel, Product LeadershipPetra Wille25 September 2025Mail Course, Personal Growth

Want Me as Your Coach—in Your Inbox?