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

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.