What is Systems Thinking in the AI Era?

Systems Thinking in the AI Era is a 4-course series that teaches the universal framework for understanding how systems work. You'll master 7 universal building blocks + 3 external entities through hands-on discovery labs, real-world case studies, and system design challenges. Whether you're an engineer, data scientist, or technical leader, this develops architectural decision-making skills that let you direct AI tools effectively.

How many courses are in the series?

4 courses total: I: The Seven Building Blocks (available now), II: Content Systems (coming soon), III: Real-Time Systems (coming soon), IV: Business Integration Systems (coming soon). Course I is the required foundation for all other courses.

What are the 7 universal building blocks?

The 7 universal building blocks are: Service (request/response), Worker (background processing), Key-Value Store (caching), File Store (media storage), Queue (messaging), Relational Database (structured data), and Vector Database (AI/similarity search). These interface patterns power Instagram, Netflix, Uber, Gmail, and every system you use daily.

How does system thinking help me work with AI?

AI tools excel at implementation but require human guidance for architectural decisions. System thinkers understand when to use which building block patterns, how to compose them for specific requirements, and how to evolve systems over time. This high-level thinking lets you direct AI tools effectively—you make the architectural decisions while AI helps with implementation.

How much does the course series cost?

Each course is $99. Start with the free 8-minute preview to experience the transformation, then enroll in Course I: The Seven Building Blocks. Additional courses can be purchased individually as you progress through the series.

Do I need programming experience?

Yes, you should be comfortable reading and understanding code. The course focuses on system design and architectural thinking rather than teaching programming fundamentals. If you can implement features but struggle with architectural decisions like 'How would you design Instagram?', this course is perfect for you.

How much time does Course I take to complete?

Course I contains approximately 8-10 hours of content total, including 12 video lessons, 2 interactive Python labs, comprehensive assessment, and a 3-part system design challenge. Most students complete it in 2-3 weeks at a relaxed pace (2-3 hours/week). All content remains accessible forever.

Who is the instructor?

Kay Ashaolu is a Continuing Lecturer at UC Berkeley School of Information with 10+ years teaching experience, and an Engineering Manager with 15+ years industry experience at Pinterest, AncestryDNA, and Morgan Stanley. He holds degrees from Princeton University (B.S.E. Electrical Engineering) and UC Berkeley (M.I.M.S.). His research focuses on accelerating professional growth for early-career software engineers.

Systems Thinking in the AI Era I

Name: Systems Thinking in the AI Era
Price: 50 USD
Availability: PreOrder

Universal Building Blocks - The Foundation Course

Master the Universal Framework for Understanding How Systems Work

Learn the 7 universal building blocks + 3 external entities that compose every system—from Instagram to Netflix to Uber. Develop pattern recognition and architectural decision-making that lets you direct AI tools effectively. Whether you're an engineer, data scientist, or technical leader—this framework works.

Course Price: $99 (one-time payment, lifetime access)

15 comprehensive components • Discovery labs • Assessment • System design challenge • Lifetime updates

Who This Course Is For

System thinking isn't just for senior engineers. It's the universal skill that transforms how you work with technology.

Engineers

Stop guessing at architecture. Learn the systematic approach that transforms how you design systems—from Instagram to Uber to Slack.

Data Scientists & ML Engineers

Your model is 5% of the system. Learn the other 95% so you can ship to production without waiting for engineers.

PMs, Founders & Technical Leaders

Become "technically dangerous." Understand systems well enough to lead discussions, evaluate trade-offs, and stop just nodding along.

Bootcamp Graduates

Bootcamp taught you to code. This teaches you to think in systems—the gap that separates implementation from architecture.

Course at a Glance

Total Components

Video Lessons

Interactive Labs

Comprehensive Assessment

Challenge Parts

The Universal Framework You'll Master

This course teaches you the fundamental building blocks that compose every system you'll ever work on - from Instagram to Netflix to Uber to Gmail. These are not technologies that become obsolete. These are universal interface patterns that have existed for 40 years and will exist for the next 40.

Task Blocks

Service
Request/response, API endpoints, web servers

Worker
Background processing, long-running tasks, batch jobs

Storage Blocks

Key-Value Store
Fast lookups, caching, sessions

File Store
Large files, media, CDN

Queue
Message processing, task management

Relational DB
Structured data, ACID transactions

Vector DB
AI integration, similarity search

External Entities

User
Human interactions, auth, notifications

External Service
Third-party APIs, payments, email

Time
Scheduled events, automation, triggers

Interactive Learning Features

This isn't passive video watching. This is experiential learning that creates breakthrough moments through hands-on experimentation, comprehensive assessments, and real-world challenges.

7 Building Blocks + 3 External Entities

Master the universal interface patterns that compose every system. Learn when to use each building block, understand their characteristics, and recognize patterns across different scales.

Complete Python implementations
Real-world examples from Instagram, Netflix, Uber
Technology mapping to current tools
Visual language for architectural communication

2 Interactive Discovery Labs

Self-contained Python programs that let you experiment with building blocks in action. Experience the problems first, then discover the solutions through hands-on work.

Lab 1: + for async processing
Lab 2: + for scheduled automation
Real-time progress monitoring
Multiple choice reflections with feedback

Comprehensive Assessment

Validate your transformation with 20 strategic multiple-choice questions plus 5 long-form system design questions. Prove you think architecturally, not just implement code.

Pattern recognition across real systems
Trade-off analysis and decision-making
Building block combinations
80% threshold for mastery validation

3-Part System Design Challenge

Design a social recipe platform from MVP through viral growth to business monetization. Learn what senior engineers know: you evolve systems, you don't rebuild them.

Part 1: MVP foundation with 5 core requirements
Part 2: Scaling under viral growth pressure
Part 3: Adding revenue features to stable platform
Portfolio-quality design artifact

Complete Course Structure: 15 Components - Submit Designs, Get Feedback, Learn by Doing

Foundation Lessons (1-7)

Lesson 1: From Zeros and Ones to Building Blocks - Why system thinking is now mandatory
Lesson 2: The 7 Building Blocks - Your universal system language
Lesson 3: Building Block Code Implementation - See patterns in working Python code
Lesson 4: Building Blocks to Technologies - Map patterns to real tools
Lesson 5: + Discovery Lab - Interactive async processing experiments
Lesson 6: The 3 External Entities - Forces that shape all systems
Lesson 7: External Entity Code Implementation - User, External Service, Time in practice

Advanced Lessons (8-12)

Lesson 8: + Discovery Lab - Interactive scheduled automation experiments
Lesson 9: Trade-off Analysis - Senior engineer decision framework
Lesson 10: Building Block Combinations - Pattern recognition across systems
Lesson 11: Link Shortener Case Study - Your first complete system analysis
Lesson 12: Course Assessment - 20 multiple choice + 5 long-form questions

System Design Challenge (3-Part Evolution)

Challenge Part 1: Social Recipe Platform MVP - Design foundation with 5 requirements
Challenge Part 2: Viral Growth Evolution - Scale your Part 1 design under pressure
Challenge Part 3: Business Monetization - Add revenue features to existing architecture

Why the Building Blocks Approach Works

Dimension	Technology-Focused Learning	Building Blocks Approach
Focus	Specific technologies (Redis, Kafka, PostgreSQL)	Universal interface patterns (Key Value Store, Queue, Relational Database)
Learning Method	Memorize implementations and syntax	Master pattern recognition and trade-offs
Timeline	3-5 years to develop system thinking	Systematic learning in weeks
Hands-On Practice	Watch demos, maybe follow tutorials	Interactive discovery labs with Python experimentation
Validation	Generic quizzes on technology features	Comprehensive assessment + 3-part evolution challenge
Obsolescence Risk	High - technologies change constantly	Low - interface patterns are timeless
AI Relationship	AI handles implementation tasks	Direct AI with architectural understanding

Course Pricing

Lifetime access to all course updates included.

Course I: Universal Building Blocks

$99

Complete Course I: Universal Building Blocks
15 comprehensive components
2 interactive discovery labs
Comprehensive assessment
3-part system design challenge
Lifetime course updates

Compare to Traditional Alternatives

Traditional system design courses: $1,500 - $4,000
Coding bootcamps: $10,000 - $20,000 (teach code writing, not system thinking)
Computer Science degree: $40,000 - $200,000 (3-5 years before practical skills)
Trial and error on the job: 3-5 years + countless expensive mistakes

You get better results for a fraction of the cost and time

How Course I Sets Up the Complete Series

Systems Thinking in the AI Era is a 4-course comprehensive transformation program. Course I is the required foundation. Courses II-IV apply your building block knowledge to specific system domains.

Course I: Universal Building Blocks (This Course - Available Now)

Master the 7 building blocks + 3 external entities. Develop pattern recognition, trade-off analysis, and architectural decision-making. Required prerequisite for all other courses.

Course II: Content Systems (Coming Soon)

Apply building blocks to Instagram, Netflix, YouTube patterns. Master read-heavy workloads, caching strategies, CDN patterns for global content delivery.

Case Studies: Blog applications, video streaming platforms, photo galleries, search engines, AI-enhanced semantic search

Course III: Real-Time Systems (Coming Soon)

Learn Slack, Discord, WhatsApp patterns. Master real-time messaging, WebSocket patterns, presence systems, message delivery guarantees.

Case Studies: Social media platforms, collaborative documents, messaging apps, AI chatbots, video conferencing, link shorteners

Course IV: Business Integration Systems (Coming Soon)

Master Stripe, Shopify, Salesforce patterns. Learn payment processing, transaction handling, compliance automation, enterprise integration.

Case Studies: Social payment applications, online store platforms, auction marketplaces, dynamic pricing systems

By completing all four courses, you develop comprehensive pattern recognition across all major system types, giving you the architectural understanding to work effectively in any domain.

Start Learning Today

Engineers, data scientists, and technical leaders who understand architectural patterns make better decisions, communicate more effectively, and direct AI tools with confidence.

This course gives you the framework and hands-on practice to develop those skills systematically.

15 comprehensive components with interactive labs, assessments, and design challenges

$99

Less than a technical book, more impact than years of trial and error

Lifetime access • Learn at your own pace
Join engineers building the architectural thinking skills that matter