Training vs. Coaching - All Things Product with Teresa & Petra

What’s the difference between product training and product coaching—and why does it matter? In this episode, Petra Wille and Teresa Torres unpack a topic that comes up all the time in product orgs: when do individuals and teams need structured training, and when is it time to bring in a coach? They walk through the core differences, share frameworks to help you decide what kind of support your team actually needs, and explore the skill-building journey from reading a book to mastering advanced discovery practices. Whether you’re an individual contributor trying to sharpen your discovery skills or a product leader wondering how to support your team, this episode breaks it all down with clarity and real-world examples.

Tune in to learn:

  • Why this conversation matters: Coaching is trendy, but is it always the right tool?

  • Defining the difference between knowledge (training) and capability (skill-building)

  • The role of flipped classrooms and experiential learning in product training

  • Petra’s take on when coaching becomes valuable (hint: it’s not step one)

  • Teresa’s 3 learning stages: concept, practice, and applying in context

  • Why training is often a better starting point than coaching

  • The case for community of practice as a “training alternative”

  • When coaching really shines: dealing with org-specific or context-heavy challenges

  • Coaching as a shortcut for product leaders (and the gap in leadership training)

  • How coaching and training can work together — especially in scaled orgs

  • Teresa’s flipped classroom model in practice (what it looks like in her courses)

  • What makes a great product coach (hint: it’s not just experience at big-name companies)

  • 7,500+ product coaches on LinkedIn?! A teaser for an upcoming episode on how to choose one

Find the episode here or watch the video:

Key Takeaways:

  • Training ≠ Coaching. Training builds foundational knowledge and skills. Coaching helps you apply them in your unique context.

  • Skill building takes structured practice. Reading a book isn’t enough—people need reps, feedback, and guided experiences.

  • Coaching is most valuable when teams already have baseline skills and face org-specific blockers.

  • You don’t need to be a certified coach to be effective. Experience in the craft and knowing how to support others in real-world contexts is often more important.

  • Leaders need targeted learning, too. But leadership-specific product training is still hard to find. Resources & Links:

All Things Product, All blog postsPetra WilleCoaching, Training, Podcast