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 $299. 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 is designed as a 10-week experience, with 1-2 hours of content per week. This includes 12 video lessons, 2 interactive Python labs, comprehensive assessment, and a 3-part system design challenge. The course is self-paced—you can move faster if you'd like. 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.

FREE 8-MINUTE PREVIEW

"Design Instagram." Can You Answer That?

Watch how system thinkers answer in 60 seconds—without freezing.

Taught by Kay Ashaolu, UC Berkeley Lecturer

▶ Watch free • No signup required • 8 min

Start with Course I

$299

or 4x $75/mo

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Complete 4-Course Bundle

$399 $1,196

Course I now • II-IV on release

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"Kay has this incredible ability to make any complex technical challenge seem very simple."

— Former UC Berkeley Student

Prefer reading? Scroll down ↓ | Full screen watch page

What Students Say

Real feedback from course participants

I am liking the course. Will definitely recommend to folks around.

— Course Student

Thank you professor! I just bought the course. You are awesome! Thanks again.

— Course Student

I find your teaching very valuable and needed for me to get back into the job market.

— Course Student

I have pre-ordered courses 2 to 4 and am excited to learn the 'real' stuff from your vast experience.

— Course Student

The way Kay integrates AI tools into his teaching gave me the confidence I once had in software development.

— Student

Kay has this incredible ability to make any complex technical challenge seem very simple.

— Former UC Berkeley Student

Kay has that rare gift of not only demonstrating deep expertise in his field, but also being able to communicate his insights in a way that is understandable to wide audiences.

— Former Colleague

I see a lot of value in your courses.

— Course Student

I am all set and excited to learn from the courses!

— Course Student

The way Kay teaches software development has helped me use tools like Claude Code more effectively.

— Student

He is an inspiring role model for leadership in the tech industry, combining technical excellence with a supportive approach.

— Former Student

Kay is deeply committed to creating an inclusive, supportive learning environment. His approachability and genuine care make him an invaluable resource, especially for those aspiring to advance in software engineering.

— Former Student

Start with Course I

$299

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Complete 4-Course Bundle

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What Will This Course Do For YOU?

For Engineers

Answer any "Design X" interview question systematically.

No more freezing. No more guessing at technologies.

For Data Scientists

Ship your models to production without waiting for engineers.

Your model is 5% of the system. Learn the other 95%.

For Bootcamp Grads

Answer the system design questions bootcamp didn't teach you.

Stand out from other bootcamp grads in interviews.

Why This Course?

There's plenty of free content on system design. Here's why this is different.

A Framework That Doesn't Exist Elsewhere

YouTube teaches Redis. Blog posts explain Kafka. But where's the systematic framework? 7 building blocks. Every system. Developed over 10 years at UC Berkeley.

Feedback On Your Thinking

Free resources teach concepts but don't tell you if you're applying them correctly. This course includes AI-powered feedback on your designs.

A Rare Combination

20+ years building commercial software. 10+ years teaching at university level. Most practitioners can't teach. Most teachers haven't built.

Let's Talk About Price

What others charge:

Interview prep courses: $500–$2,000
Bootcamps: $10,000–$20,000
1-on-1 coaching: $200/hour

What failing costs you:

One failed interview: 3–6 month cooldown
Staying at current level: $20K–$50K/year in lost salary
Waiting for "someday": Opportunities passing you by

This course: $299

Or 4 payments of $75/month

Less than one hour of coaching. Less than one month of the raise you'll negotiate.

Enroll Now -$299

Or 4 payments of $75/mo →

7-day money-back guarantee

The 7 Building Blocks

Every system you'll ever design—Instagram, Netflix, Uber, Slack—uses these same 7 components.

Service

Handles requests

Worker

Background tasks

Relational DB

Structured data

Key-Value Store

Fast lookups

File Store

Media & files

Queue

Async messaging

Vector DB

AI & similarity

Once you see it, you can't unsee it. The video above proves it with Instagram and Uber.

NEW

Learn With a Cohort, Not Alone

Every Sunday, a new cohort starts. Join 75+ engineers who've already completed this transformation.

💬

Cohort Discussions

Ask questions, share insights with your cohort

👥

Proven Path

75+ engineers have completed this journey

⏰

Still Self-Paced

No mandatory live sessions

Next cohort starts Sunday

Full course access immediately upon purchase - cohort is for learning together

Built for Everyone Who Works With Software

This framework is deliberately technology-agnostic. No code. No syntax. Just patterns.

For Non-Engineers:

You don't need to know Python, JavaScript, or any programming language. The 7 building blocks are concepts, not code. If you understand "photos need to be stored somewhere," you can learn this.

For Experienced Engineers:

You know Redis, Postgres, Kafka. So why this? AI agents speak natural language. "Key-Value Store for sessions" maps directly to what Claude and Cursor understand. This framework bridges your knowledge to AI's capabilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you design Instagram using building blocks?

System thinkers break down requirements systematically: (1) Photo uploads → File Store building block for large binary files, (2) Post metadata and follower relationships → Relational Database for structured data, (3) Fast feed generation → Key-Value Store for caching, (4) Image processing (thumbnails, formats) → Worker for background tasks, (5) Mobile API → Service for request/response. Each requirement maps to the appropriate building block based on interface patterns, not random technology choices.

Do I need to know how to code?

No. This course teaches architectural thinking, not programming. The 7 building blocks are concepts—"Service," "Queue," "Key-Value Store"—not code syntax. PMs, founders, data scientists, and bootcamp grads all take this course successfully.

That said, the interactive labs use Python for hands-on experimentation. Even if you're not a Python expert, the code is simple and heavily commented. The goal is understanding behavior, not writing production code.

I'm a senior engineer. Isn't this too basic for me?

You probably know Redis, Kafka, and PostgreSQL inside out. But here's the thing: AI agents don't speak in technology names.

When you tell Claude Code "use Redis for caching," it has to interpret what you mean. When you say "Key-Value Store for session data with 24-hour TTL," it implements exactly that.

This framework gives you technology-agnostic vocabulary that maps directly to how AI agents understand instructions. It's not about learning new concepts—it's about translating what you know into language that commands AI precisely.

Why is code writing ability now table stakes?

AI tools like Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf, and GitHub Copilot can translate well-defined tasks into working code faster than any developer. If someone can break down a task clearly, they can give it directly to AI. Code writing ability is now an assumed baseline everyone has through AI tools—table stakes rather than a differentiator. System thinking is now an essential skill, not something you learn "eventually."

What makes system thinking so valuable?

System thinkers make architectural decisions that AI cannot make. They ask "Which building blocks fit these requirements?" and "What are the trade-offs?" rather than "How do I implement this?" AI can implement any building block perfectly if told which to use, but it cannot make judgments about business context, user needs, growth patterns, and cost constraints that determine which building blocks are appropriate.

How long is the free preview?

The free preview is 8 minutes total. You'll see how to design Instagram and Uber using the 7 building blocks framework, understand why this skill is now mandatory in the AI era, and learn what's in the full course. No registration required, watch instantly, 100% free.

What is the cohort system?

Every Sunday, a new cohort of students starts the course together. You'll have access to cohort discussions where you can ask questions and share insights with peers tackling the same material. This creates accountability and community without mandatory live sessions—the course remains fully self-paced.

Do I get immediate access to the course?

Yes! You get full access to all course content immediately upon purchase. The cohort system is purely for community and learning together—it does not gate any content. Start learning right away, and connect with your cohort when you're ready.

What's included in the full course?

Course I includes 12 video lessons covering all 7 building blocks and 3 external entities, 2 interactive Python labs, a comprehensive assessment with AI-powered feedback, and a 3-part system design challenge where you design a real system from MVP through scaling. You also get lifetime access to all updates and cohort discussions.

Ready to Complete Your Transformation?

This free preview showed you how to design Instagram-like features. The complete course series teaches you the 7 universal building blocks + 3 external entities that compose every system you'll ever work on - from Netflix to Uber to Slack.

Course I: Universal Building Blocks (Required Foundation)

Master the 7 fundamental building blocks and 3 external entities. Learn systematic pattern recognition, trade-off analysis, and architectural decision-making that AI cannot replicate.

Course II: Content Systems (Coming Soon)

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

Course III: Real-Time Systems (Coming Soon)

Learn Slack, Discord, WhatsApp patterns. Master real-time messaging, WebSocket patterns, and low-latency communication architectures.

Course IV: Business Integration Systems (Coming Soon)

Master Stripe, Shopify, Salesforce patterns. Learn payment processing, transaction handling, and enterprise integration that directly impacts business revenue.

PRE-LAUNCH PRICING

Complete 4-Course Bundle

$399 $1,196

Course I available now. Courses II-IV unlock on release.

Lock in launch pricing before courses release

Start Your Transformation Today

The engineers, data scientists, and technical leaders who thrive aren't the ones who write more code—they're the ones who understand how systems work and why architectural decisions matter.

Start with Course I

$299

Or 4 payments of $75/mo

PRE-LAUNCH PRICING

Complete 4-Course Bundle

$399 $1,196

Course I now • Courses II-IV on release

Next cohort starts Sunday

Full access immediately • 7-day money-back guarantee

Join 75+ engineers already enrolled