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Inside Google's AI turnaround: The rise of AI Mode, strategy behind AI Overviews, and their vision for AI-powered search | Robby Stein (VP of Product, Google Search)

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Oct 10, 2025

Guest

Robby Stein

Robby Stein, VP of Product at Google Search, previously led product development at Instagram. He shares insights on Google's AI turnaround, revealing why AI is enhancing search instead of replacing it. Robby explains the swift development of AI Mode and the importance of relentless improvement in product creation. He discusses how AI Overviews connect with Google Lens for an integrated experience and emphasizes the value of curiosity and understanding user needs as key to successful product development.

01:21:37

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Episode notes

00:00 / 00:00

Focused Urgency Unlocked AI Momentum

Google feels a renewed focus and urgency because models have hit a utility tipping point.
That compounding improvement across product and research drove recent AI consumer wins.

00:00 / 00:00

AI Expands Rather Than Replaces Search

Core search needs haven't disappeared; users still ask diverse, practical questions.
AI expands search by enabling new question types rather than replacing links.

00:00 / 00:00

Use AI Mode For Deep, Contextual Queries

Use AI Mode to ask complex, multi-turn questions that tap Google knowledge graphs.
Expect AI Mode to pull live maps, shopping, and web context into its answers.

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Google’s AI Moment and Internal Focus

03:00 • 5min

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Is Search Dead? The Role of AI in Expanding Search

08:25 • 1min

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What Is AI Mode and How It Integrates with Search

09:41 • 3min

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How AI Overviews, Lens, and AI Mode Connect

12:40 • 3min

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Advice for Creators: Optimizing for AI Experiences

15:30 • 3min

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New Interfaces: Natural Language, Tools, and Less Prompt Engineering

18:50 • 3min

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Embodying Relentless Improvement as a Product Mantra

21:51 • 4min

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AI Mode’s Genesis: From Overviews to a Full Conversational Surface

25:45 • 4min

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Lessons from Instagram: Building Stories and Making It Your Own

30:12 • 5min

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Approach to Growing Mature Products

35:21 • 5min

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When to Shift Resources and Identify New Growth Drivers

40:35 • 3min

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AI Mode Development Process and Rapid Iteration

43:49 • 6min

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Positioning AI Mode vs. Other Chatbots

50:15 • 2min

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Three Core Product Principles for Success

51:53 • 5min

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Close Friends Case Study: From Failure to Product-Market Fit

57:20 • 6min

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When Big Breakthroughs Need Bigger Teams

01:03:19 • 3min

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AI Corner: Multimodal Inspiration and Visual AI

01:06:43 • 4min

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Curiosity as a Core Habit for Builders

01:10:58 • 4min

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Lightning Round: Books, Shows, Products, and Mottos

• Mentioned in 9 episodes

Competing Against Luck

Clayton M. Christensen

David S. Duncan

Taddy Hall

Karen Dillon

In 'Competing Against Luck,' Clayton Christensen and co-authors introduce the 'Jobs to Be Done' theory, which posits that customers 'hire' products to solve specific problems. The book provides real-world examples and tools for entrepreneurs to innovate effectively and create products that customers are willing to pay premium prices for. It offers insights into how companies like Uber and Airbnb have successfully applied this approach.

#66

• Mentioned in 165 episodes

Project Hail Mary

Andy Weir

In 'Project Hail Mary', Ryland Grace, a high school science teacher, awakens on a spaceship with no memory of how he got there or his mission. He soon discovers that he is the sole survivor of a desperate mission to save Earth from a microorganism called the Astrophage, which is threatening to cause a new ice age. As Ryland regains his memories, he encounters an alien named Rocky, and together they work to solve the scientific mystery and save their respective home planets. The story blends science, humor, and heart, exploring themes of survival, discovery, and unlikely friendships.

#4878

• Mentioned in 7 episodes

Aurora

Kim Stanley Robinson

Aurora tells the story of a starship launched in 2545, carrying two thousand of Earth's best and brightest to the Tau Ceti system, a journey that spans over 150 years. The narrative is uniquely told from the perspective of the ship itself, which has developed an intelligent and self-aware AI. The story follows Freya, the daughter of the ship's Chief Engineer, Devi, and explores the lives of the people aboard the ship as it approaches its destination. The novel delves into themes of survival, purpose, and the challenges posed by generations of humans living in space, including the failure of the colonization effort and the subsequent conflicts among the ship's inhabitants.

#699

• Mentioned in 34 episodes

The Design of Everyday Things

Revised and Expanded Edition

Don Norman

In this book, Don Norman discusses how design should be centered around the user's needs, emphasizing the importance of visibility, natural relationships between controls and functions, and the intelligent use of constraints. He argues that poor design, rather than user ineptness, is often the cause of frustration with everyday objects. The book covers various aspects of design, including affordances, signifiers, and the seven stages of action, providing a comprehensive guide to creating user-friendly products.

Robby Stein is VP of Product at Google, where he oversees the core products of Google Search—including the new AI Overviews, AI Mode, search ranking, Google Lens, and more. Previously, he led consumer products at Instagram, where he and his teams built Stories, Reels, Close Friends, and other key features now used by billions.

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What you’ll learn:

Why Google’s AI products are suddenly taking off after years of perceived stagnation

How AI is expanding Search rather than replacing it, contrary to what many predicted

The three core product principles that have helped Robby build multiple billion-user products

Inside Instagram’s decision to build its own version of Snapchat Stories

His mantra of “relentless improvement”

How Google developed AI Mode from concept to launch in just one year

Why most teams give up too early on potentially transformative products

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Brought to you by:

Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security: https://vanta.com/lenny

Jira Product Discovery—Confidence to build the right thing: https://atlassian.com/lenny/?utm_source=lennypodcast&utm_medium=paid-audio&utm_campaign=fy24q1-jpd-imc

Orkes—The enterprise platform for reliable applications and agentic workflows: https://www.orkes.io/

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Transcript: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-google-built-ai-mode-in-under-a-year

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My biggest takeaways (for paid newsletter subscribers): ⁠https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/175041217/my-biggest-takeaways-from-this-conversation⁠

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Where to find Robby Stein:

• X: https://x.com/rmstein

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbystein/

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Referenced:

• Google Gemini: https://gemini.google.com/app

• Nano Banana: https://aistudio.google.com/models/gemini-2-5-flash-image

• Chat GPT: https://chatgpt.com/

• Perplexity: https://www.perplexity.ai/

• Google Lens: https://lens.google/

• AI Google search: https://www.google.com/ai

• Why ChatGPT will be the next big growth channel (and how to capitalize on it) | Brian Balfour (Reforge): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/why-chatgpt-will-be-the-next-big-growth-channel-brian-balfour

• Alex Rampell on X: https://x.com/arampell

• A 4-step framework for building delightful products | Nesrine Changuel (Spotify, Google, Skype): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-4-step-framework-for-building-delightful-products

• Look broader, look closer, think younger: Tony Fadell speaks at TED2015: https://blog.ted.com/look-broader-look-closer-think-younger-tony-fadell-speaks-at-ted2015/

• Jobs to Be Done: https://www.christenseninstitute.org/theory/jobs-to-be-done/

• The ultimate guide to JTBD | Bob Moesta (co-creator of the framework): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ultimate-guide-to-jtbd-bob-moesta

• Rinstagram or Finstagram? The curious duality of the modern Instagram user: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/26/rinstagram-finstagram-instagram-accounts

• V03: https://v03ai.com/

• Pirate GPT: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/silentmeditation/pirate-gpt/

• The Bear on Hulu: https://www.hulu.com/series/the-bear-05eb6a8e-90ed-4947-8c0b-e6536cbddd5f

• Dune on HBO Max: https://www.hbomax.com/movies/dune/e7dc7b3a-a494-4ef1-8107-f4308aa6bbf7

• Top Gun: Maverick: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1745960/

• Purple pillows: https://purple.com/pillows

• Avocado pillow: https://www.avocadogreenmattress.com/products/green-pillow

• Justin Bieber’s website: https://www.justinbiebermusic.com/

• Scooter Braun’s website: https://scooterbraun.com/

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Recommended books:

• Competing Against Luck: The Story of Innovation and Customer Choice: https://www.amazon.com/Competing-Against-Luck-Innovation-Customer/dp/0062435612

• The Design of Everyday Things: https://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Revised-Expanded/dp/0465050654

• Aurora: https://www.amazon.com/Aurora-High-Stakes-Survival-Navigate-Darkness/dp/0062916475

• Project Hail Mary: https://www.amazon.com/Project-Hail-Mary-Andy-Weir/dp/0593135202

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Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.

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Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.

To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

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