Getting people to try the first product is one challenge. It’s another thing to change a product that billions of people already rely on. The ambition remains to move quickly, test ideas and build something better. But with every update having a global impact, the very instincts that helped you get started may need an update.
That tension is at the heart of TechCrunch Disrupt 2026’s fireside chat, the Builders Stage session “From MVP to billions of users: Product decision-making must change at scale.” This session, led by Robby Stein, Google’s vice president of search products, will explore how product teams balance speed and trust, innovation and reliability when their decisions impact billions of users.
Disrupt returns to Moscone West in San Francisco from October 13th to 15th, bringing together more than 10,000 startups, investors, and technology decision makers. Hear how product decisions evolve as the stakes rise by signing up for tickets now and save up to $200 before prices go up on September 25th at 11:59pm PT. Save up to 30% when you purchase a group pass for 4 or more people.
If the product exceeds the initial strategy
How do you keep experimenting if your users expect your product to work every time? How can you introduce new things without compromising what people already value? And which intuitions should you retain in the early stages as your company grows?
Stein’s session will address the transition from building an initial minimum viable product to decision-making in one of the world’s largest product organizations. The conversation will focus on what changes on the move while maintaining trust and providing a reliable experience.
The value for founders is not to copy Google’s processes. It’s about looking at the decisions behind it, including where speed creates an advantage, where more care becomes essential, and how to recognize when the way you build needs to evolve to suit your product.
Learn valuable insights from Stein and over 250 other speakers across 200+ sessions by signing up for a pass. Register now and save up to $200 before the price increase on September 25th at 11:59pm PT.
Product leaders building on both sides of the scale
Stein’s experience is not limited to working within large technology companies. He co-founded and led Stamped, a social recommendation startup acquired by Yahoo, and then led consumer products at Instagram for five years. There, he helped build and scale the products and teams behind Stories, Feed, Direct Messaging, and Reels. Before returning to Google in 2024, he was head of product for Artifact, an AI-powered newsfeed.
His career brings both a founder’s perspective and experience developing widely used consumer products to the conversation. For those working on transitioning from early products to growing platforms, this is an opportunity to hear from someone who has worked across both environments.
Register now to save up to $200 on passes before prices increase on September 25th, and be sure to attend Disrupt’s sessions in October.
Currently, Stein is working on generative AI products and experiences within Google Search. As such, he stands at the crossroads of the introduction of new technology and the evolution of how people find information.
The scale is quite large. In May, Google reported that the number of monthly users exceeded 1 billion in the year since AI Mode debuted. Earlier this year, Stein also outlined updates that allow users to move from an AI overview to follow-up conversations in AI mode, and described a search experience designed to support both quick answers and deeper exploration.
This effort provides timely context for the session’s central question: How can we continue to move our products forward without losing the quality that makes people rely on them? For founders implementing AI into their products, this is a useful way to go beyond what the technology can do and consider how people will actually experience it.
Sign up today to hear from one of the hottest leaders in a technology market with over 1 billion users. Save up to $200 on passes through September 25th.
Learn how to build for users you haven’t reached yet, only at Disrupt 2026
You don’t need a billion users for these questions to matter. Whether it’s improving your first product, expanding your growing platform, or rethinking an established experience, your next stage of growth requires you to consider the decisions that got you here.
Join the conversation at Disrupt and continue the conversation with founders, investors, and executives across six industry stages, roundtables, breakout sessions, Expo Hall, Startup Battlefield, and countless networking opportunities.
Your product is evolving. Evolve your approach to building it too. Save up to $200 when you secure your pass to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 by September 25th at 11:59pm PT. 30% discount for groups of 4 or more.
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