CEO at Product School | LinkedIn Top Voice

I’m an entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience building global companies and digital products.

I founded Product School in 2014, which is the global leader in product training with a community of over two million members. All of our instructors are real-world Product Leaders working at top Silicon Valley companies including Google, Meta, Netflix, Airbnb, Uber, and Amazon.

Prior to Product School, I founded Floqq, the largest online education marketplace in Spanish and Portuguese at the time. Floqq joined the 500 Startups and Startup Chile accelerator programs.

My educational background includes Certificates in Global Business Management and Marketing from the University of California, Berkeley, a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering from the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca.

I co-authored the Amazon bestseller The Product Book. Additionally, I've participated as a speaker in more than 1,000 events, conferences and classes around the world. 

Outside of work, I love skiing and playing tennis.

If you think you understand product-led growth… this episode will break your brain🤯

In this #TheProductPodcast episode, I sit down with Elena Verna—Head of Growth at Lovable, the fastest-growing AI startup to ever cross $100M ARR in just eight months.

With growth leadership roles at Miro, Amplitude, Superhuman, and Dropbox, Elena has helped scale some of the most iconic product-led companies. Now she’s applying that playbook to a brand-new category shaped by rapid AI evolution.

And she’s revealing exactly how AI-native products change the rules of growth.

What you’ll learn (and walk away ready to apply):
 🔹How to build and iterate with speed using Lovable’s 3-tier launch model
 🔹How AI-native products reshape activation, retention, and monetization
 🔹How to design product-led loops that turn users into your strongest growth engine
 🔹Why modern product teams must now own brand experience—not just features
 🔹How to rethink PMF as a continuously evolving target in fast-moving AI markets
 🔹How “velocity as a moat” gives you an edge against competitors moving slower

If you want to understand how AI is rewriting the PLG playbook—and what top growth leaders are doing differently—this episode is a must-watch.

Listen now on your favorite platform:

🌐Website: https://lnkd.in/gyibiyfc
📺 YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gdU_2TYm 
🎧 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gZKi4V9N 
🍏 Apple: https://lnkd.in/gRh8qYnx 

#ProductManagement

Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia

CEO at Product School - AI training for product teams

As we're stepping into 2026, I have been thinking a lot about what actually compounds over time in our careers. It is not the frameworks. Not the titles. Not even the products we ship👇

What compounds is...judgment.

The ability to see around corners. To slow down when everyone else is rushing. To ask better questions instead of chasing louder answers. To make decisions when the data is incomplete and the stakes are real.

✨The new year will reward leaders who invest less energy in chasing trends and more energy in sharpening how they think. 
✨Leaders who build teams that can learn faster than the market moves. 
✨Leaders who understand that professional growth is not about collecting credentials, but about expanding perspective.

The next phase of your career will not be unlocked by doing more. It will be unlocked by doing fewer things with greater intention 🙌

2026 is not asking you to become someone new. It is asking you to become more deliberate about who you already are, what you stand for, and how you lead when no one is watching.

That kind of growth is quiet. But it changes everything.

#ProductManagement

#ProddyAwards 2025 is officially live, spotlighting the best AI tools for Product Teams and celebrating the solutions that are transforming how we build, learn, analyze, and ship🥳

With 9 competitive AI categories this year, including:
🌟 Adoption
🌟 Prototyping
🌟 Analytics
🌟 Experimentation
🌟 Roadmapping
🌟 Collaboration
🌟 Integration
🌟 UX Research
🌟 Products to Watch

This year’s winners represent the most innovative AI powered platforms shaping the future of product work.

Curious which AI tools stood out from the crowd?👀 
Which solutions product teams voted as the most impactful?👀

👉Meet the winners and explore every category: https://lnkd.in/g69uTEYr 

#ProductManagement

What if your team could ship faster, cut handoffs, and turn designers and PMs into full stack contributors?🤩

In this new episode, I sit down with Zeb Hermann, GM at v0 by Vercel, the AI cloud platform valued at 9.3B. Zeb leads the product behind more than 3.5M users, and he breaks down how AI is reshaping the way modern product teams build.

Zeb shares the workflow shifts Vercel made to unlock real velocity, why they rely on a vetoes culture instead of approvals, and how AI tools are turning prototypes into production ready software faster than ever.

What you’ll learn
 ✨How high performing teams replace approval chains with clarity, trust, and speed
 ✨Why designers and PMs who ship their own PRs create more impact
 ✨How to shrink the gap between an AI-generated prototype and a live application
 ✨Why hours worked don’t equal impact, and what to measure instead
 ✨How reducing handoffs lowers coordination costs and raises product quality
 ✨Why the future belongs to teams with broader technical literacy, not just deeper specializations

If you want to build faster, collaborate smarter, and lead teams that move at AI speed, this episode is your playbook.

Listen now on your favorite platform:

🌐Website: https://lnkd.in/gzrzabG4
📺 YouTube: https://lnkd.in/g3jNEmXt 
🎧 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gn8sAuST
🍏 Apple: https://lnkd.in/gvccSt8k

#ProductManagement

Most companies think they have an AI strategy. What they really have is an AI project...

That mindset is the root of the problem.

At Product School, we made our share of mistakes on the road to becoming an AI-first company. Not technical mistakes. Cultural ones. Organizational ones. Leadership ones.

And here is the uncomfortable truth: You cannot buy, hire, or outsource your way into becoming AI-first. You have to become it.

Here is what we learned the hard way:

🚫 Launching an AI feature does not mean your company is AI-first.
Until every function is fluent in AI, you are still operating with yesterday’s playbook.

🚫 Executive excitement is not the same as executive support.
If leaders do not model the behavior, the organization will not follow.

🚫 AI adoption is meaningless without business impact.
If you can’t tie your AI work to clear ROI, you are experimenting, not transforming.

What changed everything for us was committing to the internal work:
👉Training every team. Flattening decision paths. Adopting a player-coach leadership model. Setting AI OKRs tied directly to outcomes, not activity.

The result was not just better products.
It was alignment. Ownership. Shared language. Faster execution. A culture that pulls AI forward rather than pushing it uphill.

If your company is stuck in “AI-curious” mode, the barrier is not technology.
It is the mindset at the top, the incentives in the middle, and the fluency across the org.

Becoming AI-first is NOT a milestone.
It is an identity shift.

And it starts much earlier, and much deeper, than most leaders are willing to admit.

#ProductManagement

Today I’m thrilled to spotlight a powerful new tool: Arcade has officially launched — and it’s going to change how product teams share their stories.

If you’ve ever struggled to show your product in motion versus just describing it, Arcade solves that. It lets you build fully interactive, on-brand demos in a matter of minutes — no coding or design team required. Every click, scroll, and feature flow becomes a guided experience.

Why this matters
🔷 Your product doesn’t just speak — it moves. With features like hotspots, call-outs, chapters, pan-and-zoom, and branching flows, demos created with Arcade bring your value proposition to life.
🔷 Faster, smarter, more engaging. Teams have seen dramatic improvements in engagement — often far better than static screenshots or passive videos.
🔷 Built for real teams. Marketing, product, sales, customer-success — anyone can use it to create demos that scale and convert. No need for specialized skills.

At Product School, we believe that stories alone don’t sell — experiences do. That’s why I’m proud we’re collaborating with Arcade.

If you’re curious how interactive demos can boost adoption, improve onboarding, or accelerate sales, now’s the perfect time to take a look.

Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gAuuAxpq

Most companies say they want to be AI-native. The truth is, they are not even close. And they don’t need to be. Not yet.

The real gap is far more basic. Before you can be AI-native, you must learn to operate AI-first.

Right now, global spending on AI is skyrocketing while more than 90 percent of those initiatives fail to deliver meaningful business impact. Leaders buy tools, run pilots, and hope magic happens. It never does. Because the real blockers are not the models. They are the culture, the capability gaps, and the lack of leadership fluency. 

At Product School, we learned this the hard way. Launching AI products did not make us AI-first. Delegating the transformation slowed us down. Inspiration without measurement gave us a sugar high with no lasting impact. Once we rebuilt from the inside out with training, leadership modeling, and clear AI-driven OKRs, everything changed. 

If there is one message I want every product leader to hear, it is this:

Stop trying to look advanced. Start doing the unglamorous work that actually moves you toward impact.

AI-first is not a buzzword. It is an operating system shift. And the companies that make that shift now will widen the gap between winners and laggards for years.

Your team can make that leap. But only if you decide to lead it.

#ProductManagement

Today I’m feeling grateful for this community.

Not just for the Product School team, but for every product leader, PM, and founder pushing our industry forward.

Thanksgiving is a reminder that progress isn’t a solo effort. It happens because people share their knowledge, support each other, and choose to keep learning even when the world moves fast.

Wherever you are today, I hope you get a moment of rest, gratitude, and connection with the people who matter to you.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone celebrating. And thank you for being part of this journey💙

🚨 This stat should scare every exec in the room.

Only 8% of business leaders consider themselves AI-fluent.
Which explains why AI keeps getting delegated instead of driven.

Buying tools ≠ transforming the business.

Upskilling comes first. Clean data comes next.
And leadership has to lead from the front — not the sidelines.

The companies winning with AI aren’t “adding it on.”
They’re rebuilding how work actually flows.

#ProductManagement

Most companies believe they are building an AI strategy. But the reality is tough: the vast majority are stuck at Stage 1.

In my #ProductCon San Francisco keynote, I shared the Four Stages of AI Maturity. 

The data is clear: Less than 1 percent of organizations reach an AI First operating model.
👉Here is the talk if you want the full context: https://lnkd.in/grNjhmS9  

And the reason has nothing to do with tools.
🔹Executives are not fluent in AI
🔹Teams are not being properly trained
🔹Legacy systems and poor data hygiene stall progress

We made the same mistakes at Product School.
We launched AI features before becoming an AI-first company ourselves.

Once we trained every function, led from the top, and tied AI work to ROI, everything shifted.

Here is the message I want every product leader to hear:
💡You cannot delegate an AI transformation. You must champion it.

This is why we have committed to a new mission to become the global leader in AI training for product teams.

Most teams think they are further along than they are.
Which means the opportunity is wide open.

Let’s build the next generation of AI-first product leaders🚀

#ProductManagement

🚨 The AI failure rate is not a tech problem. It’s a leadership problem.

Everyone’s buying tools. Almost nobody’s building transformation.

Because the real moat isn’t the model.
It’s the operating system behind it.

The orgs that win aren’t the ones adopting AI the fastest…
They’re the ones rewiring how people work, how decisions are made, how processes sync, and how AI becomes embedded across the entire value chain.

Tools don’t break the P&L, but misalignment absolutely does.

👉If you want AI to actually move revenue, retention, and efficiency, you need orchestration…not hype.

#ProductManagement

AI isn’t replacing Product Managers. It’s widening the gap between those who upskill and those who freeze.

The PMs who know how to ship with AI aren’t just staying relevant.
 They’re becoming the people their teams rely on when things get uncertain.
 They’re shipping faster. Asking better questions.
 Turning AI chaos into product clarity.

If you’ve been feeling behind, this week is your reset moment.

Here’s what you unlock when you decide to become AI-First:
 ✨The 3 AI skills every modern PM needs: AI Prototyping, AI Evals, Advanced AI Agents
 ✨All 9 Product School certifications led by top AI and Product leaders
 ✨A 24/7 AI Product Coach to help you move with confidence
 ✨A ticket to ProductCon in SF, NY, or London
 ✨A global network of PMs who are already operating at AI velocity
 ✨The freedom to start anytime in 2026 after securing your savings

Your next promotion won’t come from grinding harder.
It’ll come from knowing how to work AI-smarter.

The Black Friday offer ends November 28 at midnight.

🔗Become AI-First https://lnkd.in/gXtFWiig

#ProductManagement

AI Isn't Taking Jobs...

Navigating the complexities of agentic architecture can be daunting. This cheat sheet gives you the quick reference you need to stay ahead in the AI agent space. Dive in, simplify the details, and optimize your workflow.

💾 Save this for easy access!

If you want to go a bit deeper into these concepts, you might enjoy exploring what we are building here: https://lnkd.in/gSHRv4ic    

#ProductManagement

Most companies “talk AI.” Almost none reorganize their entire strategy around it🚨

That’s the difference between hype and transformation. Shifting your roadmap, rewriting your priorities, and reviewing AI OKRs weekly is what real commitment looks like.

👉When leadership treats AI as oxygen, everyone else starts breathing differently.

If your team wants to learn how to operationalize AI the way product-first companies actually do it, explore our AI training for product teams at Product School: https://lnkd.in/gcjh9dYH     

#ProductManagement

Most companies say they want an AI transformation. Very few have the conviction to walk into the trenches and earn it.

Over the past year, I’ve had a front-row seat to a reality most leaders don’t want to confront: almost all the money pouring into AI is being wasted. The data is brutal. Only a tiny fraction of teams are actually capturing value, while everyone else is stuck in endless pilots, scattered enthusiasm, and shiny tools that never move the bottom line .

But here’s the truth I’ve learned the hard way.
👉Your org doesn’t become AI-first because you bought a model, shipped an AI feature, or hired a task force. You become AI-first when the leadership team decides to rebuild the operating system of the company itself.

At Product School, we tried the comfortable version first. Launching an AI product. Delegating experimentation to technical teams. Relying on inspiration instead of accountability. 

It didn’t work. And facing that truth was the turning point our teams needed🙌

The moment we aligned fluency, ownership, and measurable outcomes, everything changed. Not because of a single feature or tool, but because we shifted how we think, how we collaborate, and what we demand from ourselves as leaders. That’s when AI stopped being a side project and started becoming the engine of transformation.

Here is the part that might sound polarizing, but it’s the reality emerging in front of us.
🔹We are entering a divergence.
🔹A small group of companies are learning faster, integrating deeper, and compounding value. The gap between those who adapt and those who hesitate will widen faster than any digital transition we’ve lived through as product leaders .

And the uncomfortable truth is this: Your team can only go as far as you’re willing to go first.

This era will reward leaders who stay curious, stay accountable, and stay close to the work. Leaders who don’t delegate transformation, but model it. Leaders who rebuild their culture so people, data, and technology can finally move in sync toward real impact🚀

If you’re a product executive navigating this shift, know that you’re not behind.
But staying still is no longer neutral.

The teams willing to rethink their operating system today will define the next decade of product excellence.

And that’s the race worth running.

#ProductManagement

🚨FINAL HOURS. Last chance to save $1,000.

Some PMs will step into 2026 already moving toward AI fluency. Others will spend next year wishing they had taken the first step sooner.

This is the moment that separates those who advance from those who hesitate.

Inside the Product School's Cyber Monday bundle, you get everything you need to become AI native: agents, evals, prototyping, and real hands-on builds that translate directly into career momentum.

You don’t have to start learning today. You only need to secure the savings before the clock runs out.

When the price resets tomorrow, the window closes for good.

🔗Enroll before midnight and lock in your final $1,000 off https://lnkd.in/gXtFWiig

#ProductManagement

Real transformation doesn’t fail because of tools. It fails because of fear and anger.

At Product School we’ve learned that every org-wide change has two phases:
1️⃣ The systems phase
2️⃣ The human phase

And the second is 10x harder.

That’s why we start every leadership meeting by asking one simple thing:
 👉 “How are you feeling today?”

Not to solve, but to understand.

Not to manage performance, but to lead people.

Because no transformation succeeds without trust.

#ProductManagement

The gap between "PM" and "AI Product Manager" is widening every day.

$1,000 off is a nice saving. 
👉But what you’re really buying is confidence.

It’s the ability to stop nodding along when engineers talk about LLMs and start driving the strategy. It’s about moving from "managing" products to actually building the future.

This Black Friday isn’t just a discount. It’s your toolkit to stay indispensable:
⚡ Learn from the builders: 9 live courses taught by leaders actively shipping AI products. 
⚡ Master the new stack: Get certified in AI Prototyping, Evals, and Agents (the stuff employers actually want in 2026). ⚡ Never get stuck: A 24/7 AI Product Coach to unblock your decision-making. 
⚡ Get in the room: A ticket to ProductCon in SF, NY, or London. 
⚡ Move on your terms: Lock the rate now, start anytime in 2026.

Don't let the market shift without you. 

Lock it in now ($1k off), start anytime next year.

🔗 Claim your advantage here: https://lnkd.in/gXtFWiig

#ProductManagement

Black Friday didn’t feel like enough, so Product School decided to extend it through the final weekend.

If you’ve been watching the AI wave instead of riding it, this is your moment to step in. The teams that win next year will be the ones led by PMs who move fast, run tight loops, and build with AI at the core.

That’s the skill gap we’re helping you close.

Here’s what you get when you shift into AI-First mode:

 ✅ $1,000 off all certifications
 ✅ 9 live, instructor-led courses across AI and Product Management
 ✅ Brand-new AI certifications in Prototyping, Evals, and Advanced AI Agents
 ✅ 24/7 AI Product Coach for guidance whenever you need it
 ✅ A ticket to #ProductCon in SF, NY, or London

You can stay in the old playbook.
Or you can become the AI-First PM your company is already looking for.

This extended offer wraps up Sunday at midnight (PST). Once it ends, the savings are gone.

You don’t need to start now. Secure your discount and join any cohort next year.

🔗Claim your extended offer here: https://lnkd.in/gXtFWiig  

#ProductManagement

Black Friday Extended

📢BLACK FRIDAY IS LIVE: Save $1,000 on all Product School courses!

Become AI-native and future-proof your product career for the lowest price of the year.

Taught live by top AI leaders, our programs are built on hands-on projects and job-ready skills.

This applies to every path:
👉Core PM & Leadership
👉AI Prototyping
👉Evals & Agents

Too busy for Q4? No problem. Enroll today to lock in the $1,000 savings, but schedule your cohort for anytime in 2026.

Offer ends November 28.

🔗Claim your spot here: https://lnkd.in/gXtFWiig  

#ProductManagement

taplio

Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia's Linkedin Analytics