Deep Work

Key Takeaways:

• Deep work is essential but often deprioritized. Many product leaders know they should spend time on strategic thinking but struggle to justify it.

• Guilt is a major barrier. Many leaders feel bad about blocking off time for reflection, fearing it takes away from “real work.”

• Deep thinking improves team alignment. Setting aside time for structured thought helps leaders assess their team’s needs, challenges, and motivations.

• Strategy requires dedicated focus time. Updating or refining product strategy isn’t something you can do in 15-minute increments—it requires intentional, uninterrupted work.

• Protecting your calendar is a leadership skill. Building deep work habits means creating systems that make space for what matters most.

Resources & Links:

• Follow Teresa Torres: ProductTalk.org

• Follow Petra Wille: Petra-Wille.com

Mentioned in the episode:

• Maker’s Schedule, Manager’s Schedule (paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html) by Paul Graham

• Petra's Illustration (images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5efc6a0b…) of Maker's vs. Manager's Schedule

• Deep Work (calnewport.com/deep-work-rules-for-focused-suc…) by Cal Newport

• Slow Productivity (calnewport.com/my-new-book-slow-productivity) by Cal Newport

• Beating the drum of your product strategy tune (mindtheproduct.com/beating-the-drum-of-your-pr…)- Megan Murphy’s talk at Mind The Product (mindtheproduct.com)

• I’m Glad We All Agree (jpattonassociates.com/glad-we-all-agree-2) by Jeff Patton

• Reclaim.ai

• Continuous Discovery Habits (amzn.to/3hGkNYT)