Max Schoening: AI's Role in Design and Product

In a recent discussion on Lenny's Podcast, Max Schoening, Head of Product at Notion, shared insights into the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence, design, and product development. Schoening, a former VP of Design at GitHub and founder of two startups, brings a wealth of experience to the conversation, highlighting how AI is not just a tool but a transformative force reshaping how products are conceived, built, and iterated upon.

Meet Max Schoening

Max Schoening is a seasoned product leader with a deep understanding of both design and engineering principles. His career trajectory includes significant roles at industry giants like Google, where he worked as a Product Manager, and later at GitHub, where he led the design and product teams. He was instrumental in shaping key features and product strategies during GitHub's rapid growth phase. Prior to his tenure at GitHub, Schoening was also a founder of two startups, CloudApp and Canvas, giving him firsthand experience with the challenges and opportunities of building companies from the ground up. His current role as Head of Product at Notion places him at the forefront of applying AI to a widely used productivity platform.

The Democratization of Creativity with AI

One of the core themes Schoening explored is how AI is democratizing creativity and problem-solving within product development. He noted that AI tools are lowering the barrier to entry for many tasks that were previously complex or time-consuming. For instance, the initial 10% of any project, often the most challenging part involving brainstorming, ideation, and initial prototyping, can now be significantly accelerated by AI. Schoening shared that he believes the first 10% of every project is now free, meaning that AI handles the foundational work, allowing designers and product managers to focus on refining and iterating.

He elaborated on this by stating, "It takes almost no effort to now build the first version of a startup that you can be thinking about your job a couple of years ago, what's most changed is the first 10% of every project are now free." This accessibility means that more people can bring their ideas to life, fostering a more inclusive and dynamic product development environment.

Augmenting, Not Replacing, Human Ingenuity

Schoening emphasized that AI's role is not to replace human creativity but to augment it. He suggested that AI can act as a powerful co-pilot, handling repetitive or laborious tasks, freeing up human talent for more strategic and creative endeavors. This augmentation allows individuals to explore more possibilities and achieve better outcomes. He drew an analogy to training a model, stating, "You just have to do reps. It's almost like training a model." This highlights the iterative process of working with AI, where continuous interaction and refinement lead to better results.

His perspective is that AI empowers individuals by giving them the ability to "change things", fostering a sense of agency and encouraging a more proactive approach to problem-solving. This shift is crucial for fostering a culture of innovation within organizations.

The Evolving Role of Designers and PMs

The conversation also touched upon how AI is changing the roles of designers and product managers. Schoening observed that the traditional lines between these roles are blurring, with designers increasingly needing to understand code and engineers needing to grasp design principles. AI tools can bridge these gaps, enabling cross-functional collaboration and a more holistic approach to product development.

He noted that the trend towards "roles merging" is evident, with designers and PMs often shipping code and contributing to technical aspects of product development. This convergence, facilitated by AI, allows for faster iteration cycles and a more cohesive product vision.

A New Kind of Universal Basic Income?

Schoening shared a provocative thought about universal basic income, suggesting that in a way, "we already have universal basic income, it's called knowledge work." He argued that the ability to create and contribute knowledge through work, amplified by AI, provides a form of economic security and opportunity. This perspective frames AI not as a threat to employment but as an enabler of new forms of value creation.

The ability to leverage AI tools to build complex software or prototypes quickly also means that the initial effort required to bring an idea to life is significantly reduced. This lowers the risk for entrepreneurs and allows for more experimentation, potentially leading to a more diverse and innovative startup scene.

The Future of AI in Product Development

Looking ahead, Schoening expressed optimism about the continued integration of AI in product development. He believes that AI will continue to empower individuals, automate mundane tasks, and enable faster innovation. The key, he stressed, is to focus on building tools and platforms that foster this augmentation, rather than trying to replace human judgment and creativity entirely.

He concluded by emphasizing that the future is about "augmenting human capability", allowing people to do more, be more creative, and ultimately build better products. The conversation highlights a pivotal moment where AI is not just changing the tools we use but fundamentally altering our approach to creation and problem-solving.