In this episode of All Things Product, hosts Petra Wille and Teresa Torres dive into a common challenge faced by internal product teams—relying on stakeholder meetings instead of proper discovery practices. Why do so many teams collect requirements through meetings rather than observing real user behavior? How can product teams better differentiate between stakeholders, end-users, and sponsors? Petra and Teresa break down why internal tools often fall into the requirement trap and share actionable strategies for conducting effective product discovery, even when your users are colleagues. They explore how to leverage internal access, the importance of story-based interviews, and how to optimize internal processes without stepping on toes. Tune in to learn: ✅ Why requirement meetings aren’t enough for internal product teams ✅ How to map stakeholders and distinguish users from influencers ✅ The power of story-based interviews for uncovering real needs ✅ How to leverage internal access to users for continuous discovery ✅ Practical steps for navigating process optimization and organizational dynamics If you’re working on internal tools or leading a product team that serves colleagues, this episode is packed with insights to help you move beyond stakeholder requirements and deliver impactful solutions.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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