TikTok US joins child safety initiative Lantern, which says members like Meta and X shared 2M+ signals of potentially violating behavior from 2023 through 2025 (Amanda Silberling/TechCrunch)

Google’s Robby Stein joined TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 as a vice president of product for Google Search, leading a fireside chat titled "From MVP to Billions of Users: How Product Decisions Must Change at Scale." The conversation focused on how product teams must adapt their approach when scaling from a first minimum viable product to serving billions of users.

Stein, who previously co-founded Stamped and led consumer products at Instagram, shared his experiences of building and scaling widely-used consumer products. He highlighted the challenge of balancing speed, trust, and reliability when making product decisions at scale, particularly in the context of AI Mode, which had surpassed 1 billion monthly users in May.

The session aimed to help founders understand the evolving nature of product development as companies grow, emphasizing the importance of maintaining trust and delivering a reliable experience while exploring new innovations. Attendees could register for the event to save up to $200 before prices increased on September 25, with group passes available for four or more.