Product Talk · Teresa Torres
articleplaybookStepping Into Leadership - All Things Product Podcast with Teresa Torres & Petra Wille
7 July 2026Product
Source excerpt
About Product TalkListen to this episode on: Spotify | Apple PodcastsEvery product manager wants to move into leadership — but nobody wants to hire a leader without leadership experience. So how do you break the cycle?In this episode, Teresa and Petra unpack the practical, often-overlooked ways individual contributors can build
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Apollo layer
What a founder can learn
Founder takeaway
Treat leadership as a capability to demonstrate before it becomes a title. Create opportunities for individual contributors to build and show leadership experience in their current roles, rather than making formal management experience the only path forward.
Why it matters
Founders need a reliable internal leadership pipeline. If people can only gain leadership experience after being promoted, the company creates a hiring paradox and may overlook capable internal talent.
Relevant guides
Put it to work
Ask each aspiring leader: “What leadership outcome can you own in your current role, and what evidence would demonstrate that capability?”
Private notes