Behind the Scenes of Scale: How Product School Uses AI to Scale a World-Class Learning Business

In a world where knowledge moves fast, learning platforms can’t afford to stay static. The future belongs to systems that evolve—with AI at the core, community at the center, and design that delights.

That’s the future Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia, founder and CEO of Product School, is building. In a powerful conversation with Candice Faktor, co-founder and co-CEO of Disco, Carlos shared how Product School became the world’s largest product management community—and how an AI-first, community-driven approach is unlocking its next wave of growth.

Together, Product School and Disco are showing what’s possible when you stop retrofitting legacy systems and start building for transformation.

Learning That Evolves, Not Stagnates

Carlos didn’t build Product School to offer just another course. He built it to solve a personal pain point: there was no modern path for engineers to become product leaders.

What began in 2014 as a single in-person class has since grown into:

• A global network of over 2 million product professionals
• Deep partnerships with enterprise leaders like JP Morgan and Walmart
• A shift from public classes to scalable enterprise upskilling
• A move from static content to dynamic, live, cohort-based learning

At the heart of this evolution? A belief that learning must be active, social, and human. Product School proves that content alone isn’t enough—connection is the catalyst.

5 Takeaways for Building AI-First Learning Businesses

1. Solve a Real Problem You Understand Deeply

Carlos created Product School to fill a gap he personally faced—transitioning from engineering into product leadership without a clear pathway. The best learning businesses start with firsthand empathy and insight.

“Solve it for yourself first. You can’t drive transformation if you don’t believe in it yourself.”

This founder-problem fit fuels clarity, credibility, and long-term conviction.

2. Small, Live, Cohort-Based Learning Outperforms Scalable But Passive Models

At Product School, instructors are active product leaders. Cohorts are intentionally small. The emphasis is on real projects and real relationships, not content consumption.

“Cohorts are capped at 20. Everyone knows each other. We're building together.”

Effective learning is active, relational, and applied—not passive or isolated.

3. Being AI-First Means Starting With AI—Not Adding It Later

Carlos defines AI-first as choosing AI by default when building anything new. It’s a mindset shift, not just a technical implementation.

“You don’t have to master AI overnight. Start curious. Start small. But start now.”

This approach creates efficiency and capability across product, pedagogy, and operations.

4. Build AI Culture Through Small, Visible Wins

AI transformation doesn’t start with massive systems. It starts with curiosity and action—celebrating small wins that build momentum across teams.

“Even if someone just reorganized a spreadsheet with AI, we celebrated it. That’s how you build cultural change.”

Top learning businesses foster experimentation, elevate champions, and normalize AI in everyday workflows.

5. Operate Like a Product Team: Iterate, Don’t Overengineer

Product School treats curriculum like a living product—frequently updated, responsive to feedback, and aligned with market demand. Their AI strategy began with small wins, not grand systems.

“We review our curriculum every four months. Start small. Celebrate quick wins. Iterate from there.”

Don’t wait for perfect systems. Build momentum through action and continuous improvement.

Additional Lessons From the Front Lines

Leverage Practitioners as Instructors

Instead of traditional teachers, Product School uses real-world product leaders from top companies. These instructors bring credibility, current insight, and real context to every session.

“Our instructors are working PMs from companies like Google and Netflix. That’s the best way to stay relevant.”

Top learning businesses should explore hybrid models that bring lived expertise into the classroom.

Contextualize AI for Differentiated Experiences

While foundational AI models like ChatGPT are powerful, they become transformational when tailored to a specific community or curriculum.

“AI on its own is amazing. But AI paired with our own data, our cohorts, our outcomes—that’s where the magic happens.”

The future of learning will be shaped by AI that knows your learners, not just the internet.

Why It Matters Now

The conditions for a learning revolution are already here:

• AI has moved from novelty to necessity
• Remote-first work has made digital learning foundational
• Organizations must upskill faster to stay competitive
• Legacy LMS platforms can’t keep up—but modern models can

Product School is proving that building a future-ready learning business isn’t about retrofitting old models. It’s about rethinking everything—from how you teach to who teaches to how your systems scale.

Final Word: Build for the Future You Believe In

This isn’t about slapping a chatbot on top of outdated content. It’s about reimagining how people learn, connect, and grow.

If you're leading a learning business in 2025, your edge won’t be in content volume—it'll be in agility, authenticity, and AI. The future of learning is here.

And it’s being built, one live cohort, one practitioner, and one AI-powered insight at a time.