What is Systems Thinking in the AI Era?

Systems Thinking in the AI Era is a 4-course series that transforms junior engineers from code writers into AI-safe system thinkers. You'll master 7 universal building blocks + 3 external entities through hands-on discovery labs, real-world case studies, and system design challenges. This develops the architectural decision-making skills that make you AI-empowered, not AI-replaceable.

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.

Why are system thinkers AI-safe?

AI can write code, but it cannot make architectural decisions requiring trade-off analysis, business context, and systematic thinking. 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 makes you AI-empowered (using AI to implement your architectural vision) rather than AI-replaceable.

How much does the course series cost?

Each course is $50. Start with the free 20-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.

Terms of Service | Systems Thinking in the AI Era

Please read these Terms of Service carefully before using Systems Thinking in the AI Era. By accessing or using our services, you agree to be bound by these terms.

1. Acceptance of Terms

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1.1 Business Entity

Systems Thinking in the AI Era is a product of Kekoexchange, Inc., a Delaware corporation. All references to "we," "us," or "our" in these Terms refer to Kekoexchange, Inc.

2. Description of Services

Systems Thinking in the AI Era provides online educational courses focused on system design and architectural thinking. Our services include:

Video lessons and educational content
Interactive labs and coding exercises
Assessments and system design challenges
Access to course materials for enrolled students

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We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms.

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Upon successful purchase, you receive a non-exclusive, non-transferable, limited license to access the course content for personal, non-commercial use. This license grants you:

Lifetime access to purchased course materials
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You may not use our intellectual property without prior written permission, except as expressly permitted by these Terms.

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7.1 AI-Powered Assessment Feedback

Our platform provides automated feedback on assessments and design challenges using artificial intelligence technology. This feedback is generated using AI models hosted on our own infrastructure (HuggingFace Inference Endpoints) to ensure data privacy and security.

Privacy-Protected AI Feedback: Your assessment submissions are processed using our self-hosted AI models. We maintain full control over the AI infrastructure and your data is never sent to third-party AI services.

Important Points About AI Feedback:

AI feedback is educational and formative, designed to help you learn
Your assessment submissions are processed using our self-hosted AI models
We maintain full control over the AI infrastructure and your data
AI feedback does not replace instructor evaluation for official certification
Feedback is provided on a best-effort basis and may have occasional errors
Processing time is typically under 3 hours from submission

By submitting assessments for AI feedback, you consent to having your responses processed by our self-hosted AI system for educational purposes.

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9.1 Educational Purpose

Our courses are for educational purposes. While we strive to provide high-quality content, we do not guarantee specific outcomes, job placement, or career advancement.

9.2 Service Availability

We provide our services "as is" without warranties of any kind. We do not guarantee uninterrupted access and may modify, suspend, or discontinue services at any time.

9.3 Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Systems Thinking in the AI Era shall not be liable for:

Indirect, incidental, or consequential damages
Loss of profits, data, or business opportunities
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11. Modifications to Services and Terms

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Modify or discontinue services with reasonable notice
Update course content and materials
Change these Terms of Service (we will notify you of material changes)

Continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the modified terms.

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12.1 By You

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting us. Refunds, if applicable, will be handled in accordance with Stripe's payment processing policies and applicable consumer protection laws.

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We may suspend or terminate your account if you:

Violate these Terms of Service
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Upon termination, your right to access course content ends immediately, except where required by law. Provisions regarding intellectual property, liability limitations, and dispute resolution survive termination.

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14.3 Class Action Waiver

You agree to resolve disputes individually and waive the right to participate in class actions or class-wide arbitration.

15. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United States, without regard to conflict of law principles.

16. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full effect.

17. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Systems Thinking in the AI Era regarding your use of our services.

18. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us:

Email: legal@systemthinkinglab.ai
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Summary: You get lifetime access to purchased courses for personal learning. We provide quality educational content but can't guarantee specific career outcomes. Respect our intellectual property and other users. We're here to help if you have questions or issues.