Max Schoening: Agency is key to professional success, AI is transforming product workflows, and the trend of designers coding is on the rise | Lenny’s Podcast

AI integration is transforming product development, making coding less intimidating and enhancing designer roles.

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Add us on Google by Editorial Team May. 3, 2026

Key Takeaways

• Agency is a critical factor in achieving success, influencing both personal and professional development.
• The initial stages of startup projects are now easier to execute due to technological advancements.
• Successful products often have a core feature that stands out as exceptionally good.
• Integrating AI into workflows can reduce the intimidation factor of coding for product teams.
• As AI models improve, their adoption in product development is expected to increase.
• Designers are increasingly contributing to production code as technology evolves.
• Learning to code is becoming essential for designers to enhance their roles in product development.
• Despite the increase in software production, the quality of software has not significantly improved.
• Understanding the underlying mechanisms of software is more important than just coding for production.
• Agency is unevenly distributed, but those who understand its importance tend to succeed.
• The trend of designers learning to code is likely to continue as model capabilities improve.
• AI integration in product workflows can facilitate more effective prototyping.
• The ability to adapt to new technologies is crucial for success in product management and design.
• The balance between software quantity and quality remains a challenge in the industry.
• A deep understanding of technical concepts is vital for designers and PMs to create better products.

Guest intro

I appreciate your request, but I’m unable to write this biography based on the search results provided. The search results contain only library catalog listings and an unrelated Billboard article excerpt—they do not include any biographical information about Max Schoening. However, I can see from the episode description you’ve provided that Max Schoening is the Head of Product at Notion, was previously a PM at Google, ran design at Heroku, served as VP of Design at GitHub, and is a two-time founder. If you’d like me to write the biography using only the information from your episode description (rather than from search results), I’d be happy to do so. Please let me know if you’d like me to proceed with that approach.

The importance of agency in professional success

• Agency is a crucial factor in achieving success, influencing both personal and professional development.

• I don’t think agency is very evenly distributed in the world

  — Max Schoening

• Understanding the concept of agency can significantly impact one’s career trajectory.

• People who have true agency and they understand that the world around them is malleable will do great

  — Max Schoening

• Developing agency within oneself can lead to greater professional opportunities.
• Agency allows individuals to navigate and adapt to changes in their professional environment.
• Recognizing the uneven distribution of agency can help in addressing career challenges.

• Do you have a piece of advice for someone that wants to develop this within themselves…

  — Max Schoening

The evolving landscape of startup development

• The first 10% of every project is now free to build, making it easier to create initial versions of startups.

• The first 10% of every project are now free it takes almost no effort to now build the first version of a startup…

  — Max Schoening

• Technological advancements have lowered barriers to entry for startups.
• Rapid prototyping tools have transformed the startup landscape.
• The ease of creating initial project versions encourages more innovation.
• Startups can now focus more on refining their core features rather than initial development.
• The shift in startup development emphasizes the importance of innovation.
• Initial project development is no longer a significant hurdle for entrepreneurs.

Core features as the superpower of great products

• Great products have a tiny core feature that is exceptionally good.

• All the great products have something tiny that is a superpower one tiny core that is so exceptionally good…

  — Max Schoening

• Focusing on a product’s core strength can differentiate it in the market.
• A well-defined core feature can drive a product’s success.
• The emphasis on core features highlights the importance of strategic product design.
• Successful products often excel due to their unique core capabilities.
• Identifying and enhancing a product’s core feature is crucial for market success.
• The core feature of a product can serve as its competitive advantage.

AI’s role in transforming product workflows

• Integrating AI into product workflows allows teams to prototype more effectively.

• We optimized for okay how can we make this the least scary and most one shotable…

  — Max Schoening

• AI reduces the fear associated with coding for product teams.
• As AI model capabilities improve, product teams will increasingly adopt AI tools.

• The good news is that’s just to get people on the treadmill because as model capabilities get better.

  — Max Schoening

• AI integration facilitates more efficient product development processes.
• The adoption of AI tools is expected to grow as technology advances.
• AI can transform the prototyping process, making it more accessible.

The growing trend of designers coding

• The trend of designers contributing to production code will continue to grow.

• As model capabilities get better the amount of work that you can do is obviously gonna increase exponentially

  — Max Schoening

• Designers should learn to code to enhance their contributions to product development.

• I’ve always been camp designers should code

  — Max Schoening

• Coding skills are becoming increasingly important for designers in the tech industry.
• The integration of design and coding is reshaping the roles of designers.
• Designers who code can contribute more effectively to product development.
• The trend of designers coding reflects the evolving landscape of design roles.

Challenges in maintaining software quality

• The quality of software has not significantly improved despite increased production.

• I don’t feel like the quality of software has increased all that much in the last twelve months.

  — Max Schoening

• The balance between software quantity and quality remains a challenge.

• It’s very very hard to find software that is reliable.

  — Max Schoening

• The software industry faces challenges in maintaining quality amidst rapid production.
• Stakeholders must consider the implications of prioritizing quantity over quality.
• The emphasis on rapid production can impact software reliability.
• Addressing software quality issues is crucial for industry stakeholders.

The importance of understanding software mechanisms

• Designers and PMs should focus on understanding the underlying mechanisms of software.

• I actually don’t care at all whether designers write code that lands in production…

  — Max Schoening

• A deep understanding of technical concepts is vital for creating better products.

• I would much rather take the designer or PM that deeply has an affinity for understanding how agent loops work…

  — Max Schoening

• Understanding software mechanisms can lead to more effective product design.
• Technical knowledge is more valuable than just coding for production.
• The emphasis on understanding software mechanisms highlights the importance of foundational knowledge.
• Designers and PMs with technical insights can drive better product outcomes.

The impact of AI on product management and design

• AI integration in product workflows can facilitate more effective prototyping.
• The ability to adapt to new technologies is crucial for success in product management.
• AI tools are expected to become more prevalent in product development.
• The adoption of AI in product management reflects the industry’s evolving landscape.
• AI can transform how product teams approach development and design.
• The impact of AI on product management highlights the need for continuous learning.
• Product managers must stay informed about AI advancements to remain competitive.
• AI-driven tools can enhance the efficiency of product development processes.

Adapting to new technologies in design roles

• The trend of designers learning to code is likely to continue as model capabilities improve.
• Designers who adapt to new technologies can enhance their roles in product development.
• The integration of design and coding skills is reshaping the industry landscape.
• Designers must embrace new technologies to remain competitive in the market.
• The evolving landscape of design roles highlights the importance of continuous learning.
• Adapting to new technologies can open up new opportunities for designers.
• The emphasis on coding skills reflects the changing demands of design roles.
• Designers who embrace new technologies can drive innovation in product development.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.