Red Flags When Choosing A Coach

What We Cover:

• The explosion of product coaches — and why it's harder than ever to choose one

• Red flags: overpromising results, one-size-fits-all approaches, lack of relevant experience

• Green flags: coaching mindset, relevant product and coaching experience, transparency in approach

• How to assess if a coach is a good fit for your domain, stage, and style

• Why the best coaches won’t tell you what to do — and what they should be doing instead

• The difference between coaching and training (and when to look for each)

• Chemistry calls: what to ask and how to spot misalignment early

• Why coaches need to have had coaching too

Key Takeaways:

• Great coaches help you develop your own thinking — they don’t just hand you answers.

• Look for relevant domain and coaching experience — not just a shiny title.

• A good coach puts you in the driver’s seat and meets you where you are.

• Fit > credentials: coaching is personal, and chemistry matters more than a certificate.

Resources & Links:

• Follow Teresa Torres: ProductTalk.org

• Follow Petra Wille: Petra-Wille.com

Mentioned in this episode:

• Our previous episode on Types of Product Coaches (youtube.com/watch?v=AROtQpSJJvU)

• Product Discovery Training (learn.producttalk.org/train-your-team) and Product Discovery Courses (learn.producttalk.org) by Teresa Torres

• Product Leadership Coach (petra-wille.com) by Petra Wille

• Petra’s blog (petra-wille.com/blog) with coaching success stories

• The Prosperous Coach (richlitvin.com/book) by Rich Litvin (richlitvin.com) (briefly discussed — and gently critiqued)