By Teresa Torres · producttalk.org · @ttorres on X · LinkedIn
Teresa Torres opens 2024 by departing from her usual annual plan, explaining that a sabbatical-style 2023 was derailed by her husband's surgery and a difficult platform migration, leaving her facing burnout. Rather than committing to goals, she shares loose themes she may pursue: making discovery courses more accessible globally, exploring generative AI as a tutor for discovery skills, returning to daily writing, and supporting senior product leaders. She also outlines what continues at Product Talk and what she is stepping back from. The post matters for product people because it models honest acknowledgment of burnout and choosing sustainable, joy-driven work over performative goal-setting.
01Key takeaways
- Acknowledge burnout early and treat it as a signal to change pace rather than pushing through.
- Replace rigid annual goals with loose themes when circumstances are unpredictable.
- Use AI as a tutor that helps people practice skills, not as a replacement for real customer conversations.
- Protect your energy by saying no to low-leverage events and committing to high-impact partners.
- Set boundaries on social media and email so you can focus on the work that brings you joy.
02Key sections
- A year that didn't go to plan
- A planned sabbatical was replaced by caregiving and a difficult course-platform migration, leaving the author depleted. She recognizes she is facing burnout and chooses not to push through it.
- Themes instead of goals
- Rather than committing to targets, she lists possible explorations and says she will let the year unfold day by day, doing only what brings joy.
- Ideas she's noodling on
- She considers broader course accessibility across time zones, prices and languages, experiments with generative AI as a discovery tutor, and wants to return to writing and possibly start a new book.
- Ongoing commitments and pullbacks
- She will keep courses running and host leadership discussions, but limits speaking to committed corporate partners and cuts most conferences and webinars.
- Asking for kindness
- She admits the post was late, says she is considering leaving tech, and asks readers for grace as she prioritizes self-care over social media and email responsiveness.
03From the post
“Happy New Year! Every year, I kick off January with an update on how the year went and I share my plans for the upcoming year. This year is going to look a little different. You might remember that at the start of 2023, I announced that I wasn’t”
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.