MasterClass Founder David Rogier on Learning from the Best | GSVtv Podcast

Summary

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Podcast Summary: MasterClass Founder David Rogier on Learning from the Best

ASU+GSV Summit | GSVtv Podcast | July 20, 2026

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Overview:

In this lively and insightful session from the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit, David Rogier, CEO and founder of MasterClass, shares the genesis, evolution, and vision behind MasterClass. The conversation delves into how learning from world-class experts shifted online education, the role of feedback and continuous improvement among top performers, the integration of career credentials and AI, and the high stakes of adaptation in today’s rapidly changing world. Rogier also offers a candid look at the new MasterClass Executive Program, which fuses human expertise with AI-driven learning.

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Origins of MasterClass: The Power of Unstealable Education

Timestamps: 00:30 – 01:59

• Rogier shares the emotional and personal roots that influenced MasterClass, inspired by his grandmother’s survival after WWII and her belief that “education is the only thing that someone can't take away from you.”
• He tells the story of leaving venture capital, receiving a half-million-dollar check with only the charge to “think of an idea,” and feeling tremendous pressure to create something meaningful.
• Quote:
  • "Choose something that even if it fails, you would be proud of it." (David Rogier, 01:14)
  • “I was raised in part by my grandmother who lost everybody in the Second World War and instilled in me that education is the only thing that someone can't take away from you... I want to do something that people can’t take away from others.” (David Rogier, 01:34)
• The concept: democratizing world-class expertise by making it accessible to anyone, anywhere.

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The Surprising Drive of World-Class Talent

Timestamps: 02:06 – 03:58

• Rogier reflects on working with top-tier instructors like Serena Williams, Martin Scorsese, Steve Martin, Christina Aguilera, and Shonda Rhimes.
• The most unexpected lesson: These acclaimed individuals are deeply invested in growth and always seek feedback, contrary to the perception that mastery leads to complacency.
• Quote:
  • “Every single shoot, after every cut, all these people ask us any feedback, any notes you have for me... After the class comes out, they always call or email with a list of things they want to change and improve. I realized... if this group of the best in the world are still trying to improve, then what excuse do I have to not try?” (David Rogier, 02:41–03:46)
• Key takeaway: Lifelong improvement is fundamental, even (especially) at the very top.

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Expanding Beyond Celebrity: Career Credentials & Organizational Mastery

Timestamps: 04:00 – 06:28

• Responding to user demand, MasterClass shifted toward practical, career-focused learning, teaming with companies like Microsoft, Nvidia, and the Navy SEALs for new content.
• Anxiety—driven by global uncertainty and rapid AI development—emerged as the primary emotion during market research.
• MasterClass’s approach: Maintain their cinematic, high-quality production for organization-led courses, making institutional expertise accessible in an engaging format.
• These programs, especially those focusing on AI and evolving skills, have “blown past our expectations” in terms of impact and popularity.

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Breaking into Pop Culture: EdTech's Rarity

Timestamps: 06:38 – 08:22

• The host notes that very few edtech companies have entered mainstream culture. MasterClass (alongside Duolingo) is named on shows like Saturday Night Live.
• Rogier admits he hasn’t fully processed the cultural impact, preferring to focus on impact over recognition.
• Quote:
  • "The biggest knock on us... 'Are you education, or are you entertainment?'... The best education is also entertaining." (David Rogier, 07:38–07:47)
• Anecdote: Even classes outside a learner’s intended skill set (e.g., Aaron Sorkin teaching screenwriting) are attractive if taught by the best.

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AI: The Existential Skill Shift for Learners and Workers

Timestamps: 08:57 – 14:47

• Rogier shares his strong convictions about the impact of AI, both personally and organizationally.
• AI as Disruption:
  • AI is “maybe the biggest technological shift in the history of humanity,” with the potential for extreme negative consequences for non-adapters: “If you are on the losing side... your lifetime income drops by over 20%... your mortality rate... doubles.” (David Rogier, 09:28–10:27)
  • “It will literally has a chance to kill you.” (David Rogier, 10:28)
  • Urges everyone not in trades or nursing to attain AI proficiency, as it is now imperative for professional and financial security.
• Adaptability & New Skills:
  • Importance of becoming a generalist unless you are top 1% in a specialty—otherwise, AI-empowered juniors can outperform.
  • “That advice [to pick one specialty and go deep] is probably shit now... Unless you’re in the top 1% of that craft, a junior person using AI can be as good as you are.” (David Rogier, 12:27)
• Practical AI Applications:
  • AI assists him and his family in tracking goals, sleep, and productivity (e.g., drafting Slack messages or emails).
  • For executives and managers: not using AI signals accepting subpar productivity.
  • “If you aren't doing these things... You’re basically telling your team it’s okay if you’re only half as productive as you can be.” (David Rogier, 14:27)
• Education Transformation:
  • AI can now make one-on-one instruction affordable (“AI can do that for four cents”), heralding the end of traditional mass classroom structures.

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The MasterClass Executive Program: Redefining Business Education

Timestamps: 11:27, 15:42 – 17:58

• Newly launched 12-week “AI-first” business program built with OpenAI and Chicago Booth, taught by both AI systems and an impressive faculty.
• Over 12,000 applications for 500 slots—“harder to get into than Harvard Business School.”
• Faculty highlights:
  • 20 instructors, including 3 Nobel Prize winners, 3 billionaires, a Turing Award winner, several leading CEOs.
  • Names: Tony Robbins (influence in an AI-driven world), Mark Cuban (entrepreneurship and investing), Ray Dalio (economic shifts), Indra Nooyi (board member AWS, former Pepsi CEO), and leaders from Gamma, 11 Labs, and others.
• Quote:
  • “Strategy used to be 'I’m going to pick a vision, I’m going to go for it.' [Indra Nooyi says] the world is changing way too fast for that. You now have to have three paths mapped out. That totally shifts what a strategy is.” (David Rogier, 17:22)
• All delivered “for 1% of the cost of a master’s degree.”

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Memorable Moments & Soundbites

• “If you made the people that can do it actually teach...” (David Rogier, 08:44)
• “In education, we all study that the best way to learn something is one on one instruction... Now AI can do that for 4 cents.” (David Rogier, 15:03)
• “The people that are thriving are people that were in the top 1% of their craft or are a generalist.” (David Rogier, 13:07)

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Conclusion

David Rogier’s conversation at the ASU+GSV Summit provides a rare window into the mindset of a leading edtech founder. He champions continuous self-improvement, embraces the urgent need for AI literacy, and is actively reimagining executive education for the AI era. The new MasterClass Executive program crystallizes these themes—combining renowned human expertise with cutting-edge technology—shaping the future of how and from whom we learn.

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Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

[B]

We are here at the ASU GSV Summit 2026. David Rogier, the CEO and founder of Masterclass.

[A]

Welcome. He is a subscriber to Masterclass. Even post the classes he finishes on his LinkedIn.

[B]

Yes. I have seven to nine. I'm not sure how many. I did a lot of Masterclasses. They're wonderful. They really. So let's talk about the origins of Masterclass.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Masterclass was born from your grandmother's story.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Do you want to tell your grandmother's story and how this led to Masterclass?

[A]

It's a crazy story. I was in venture capital, investing in startups. Don't think I was particularly great at it. I went to my boss, told him, I'm going to quit, I'm going to start selling. He goes, what? I said, I don't know. He writes me a check for almost half a million dollars and tells me to go think of an idea.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

I was like, shocked. I know this is gonna sound like an entitled thing, but it actually became a very hard time in my life. No, I'm gonna say, because I felt an immense amount of pressure. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I didn't want to mess that up.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You also can't complain about it to anybody because then we sound like a real, like. Yeah. A real ass. And so I thought long and hard about it and I got some really great advice. I got advice from somebody who said, choose something that even if it fails, you would be proud of it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It's actually a great constraint for me.

[B]

It is.

[A]

And I was raised in part by my grandmother who lost everybody in the Second World War and instilled in me that education is the only thing that someone can't take away from you. So if I've had, I got this one chance, I want to do something that people can't take away from others. And. And I'm going to make it possible for anybody in the world to learn from the best.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And that's how Masterclass got started.

[B]

That makes sense. And is it turning people who are at the top of their profession into educators and making their classes accessible to everyone?

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

That makes sense to me. And so Masterclass built its name, as you said, on celebrity instructor. So you have Serena Williams, Steph Curry, Martin Scorsese, Steve Martin. Absolutely amazing people. Many more teaching their craft on camera. But you've said in the past what surprised you most wasn't their talent, but how much they crave feedback. They wanted it to be great. This was their chance to teach the world about their experience. So, yeah, I'd love to hear more.

[A]

We've sat across from these people. Right. And, you know, add that to the list. The Martin Scorsese you mentioned.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Christina Aguilera, Steve Martin, Shonda Rhimes. And I sort of just assume that when you got that big and you were a huge name, that you can kind of just chill. I mean, that's. Maybe that was like a dumb assumption, but I just sort of assumed that you sing when you want to, you write when you want to. And every single shoot, after every cut, all these people ask us any feedback, any notes you have for me. Then we go into the edit and focus groups, and they're asking, what are the opinions of everybody who watched it. The class comes out, they always call our email with a list of things that they want to change and improve. And I realized, like, boy, was I wrong. If this group of the best in the world are still trying to improve with their craft, and what excuse do I have to not try to keep that?

[B]

That's how they got to the top.

[A]

Yeah. And it's so obvious when you say it, but, you know, and so I think that really inspired me that if they're still doing it, I have a long ways to go. And that's okay. To constantly asking for that.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah, okay. And that's how you actually get better.

[A]

It's actually a very important part of it.

[B]

It makes a lot of sense. And, you know, so you started with celebrity instructors and this sort of cinematic. The classes are beautifully produced. These sets, they're amazing. And this is sort of aspirational learning. I want to be able to play basketball like Steph Curr or make shows like Shonda Rhimes. You launched career credentials last year with Microsoft, with Nvidia, very big tech companies. And you added an AI leadership course. That's a big change. That's a very different type of learning. I'm curious how you evolved there and how these sort of go together in some ways.

[A]

Our students asked for it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I think we noticed something really interesting in our consumer research. For the first time in 10 years, the predominant emotion that we heard from our students was anxiety.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I'm anxious about what's going on, the political spectrum and the economy with AI. Excuse me. And we want your help on it. And I was really hesitant, to be honest, because is that off brand for masterclass? Is that not what we should be doing? And I decided after tons of this feedback that let's try to do it in the Masterclass way. So let's take Nvidia, I'm sorry, the Navy seals and Google and let's create a class of what is their mastery? Because there's some things where a person's their mastery, but something's probably an organization has a culture that has developed a mastery that makes sense. And what if we could teach that in the same cinematic way that we've done, but instead of the instructor being just one person, it's the organization. So we launched at end of last year and those have done phenomenally well. And I mean, blew past our expectations. And I think it's like, hey, this is education that can impact me and my career, my job. But I'm going to enjoy to actually take.

[B]

Totally. And it's, it's from people and organizations that I love and I trust and I.

[A]

That and I respect.

[B]

I respect. Which is part of the masterclass. Exactly. Method.

[A]

I mean, if you, if you think about in the world of AI, who you want to learn from, you don't want to learn from the top folks at Nvidia, like, or from Google. I mean, that just seems insane.

[B]

Right, right. No, that makes sense. And you know, one thing I have to ask. Yeah. As an ed tech person, there's very few ed tech companies that have sort of broken into the popular culture.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Duolingo is one of them that gets named on sitcoms and things like that. And Masterclass is really the other one. It's people. It was mentioned on Saturday Night Live. It's something that's got like. There's something. I never get to ask this of anybody because very few people have had that experience in ed tech. What does that feel like to have created something that in education that is actually breaks the boundaries of education and becomes a household road?

[A]

Never been asked that. Maybe this is my own mental state or psychology, but I'm not very good at like processing or accepting that. So I don't, I don't think it's sunk in.

[B]

Okay. How does it, how does it feel to think about it now?

[A]

It's cool. I mean, I think it's cool. I think we, we especially in the beginning, got a lot of things from the press and investors asking us, are you, you know, the biggest knock on us? We don't understand, are you education or are you entertainment?

[B]

Right.

[A]

And I always thought that was like a. You're making me take a. A false choice. What the best education is also entertaining.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And so the fact that we got into mass culture or pop culture is neat. But I mean, to Me, it's about the size of the impact is what I.

[B]

That makes sense, is what actually drives me. Yeah. I remember taking the Nancy Cartwright class. It's an amazing class.

[A]

It's an amazing class. Wait, do you want to explain who Nancy Cartwright is?

[B]

Nancy Cartwright is a voiceover actor. She's the voice of Bart Simpson and many, many other characters. And she has a class about becoming a voiceover actor, about how to do voiceovers. But she's incredible. She did the voice of Chucky Rugrats. But it's an incredibly entertaining class. She's an amazing teacher. But you're also learning something that is very specific.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

It's a skill set.

[A]

I mean, I remember when the idea really clicked for me a little bit is when I thought, if Aaron Sorkin would teach a screenwriting class, would I take that?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I will never write a screenplay. I have no interest in ever doing that. But if Aaron Sorkin was going to teach it, I was like, I would take that, actually. And so it's a little bit about making it more interesting.

[B]

Oh, totally.

[A]

And so I engage with it. And then you're turning people. I mean, that old adage, the people who can't do, teach. What? I mean, a crazy idea. If you made the people that can do it actually teach. Yes.

[B]

Yeah, absolutely. So you have been pretty open. You've been an AI fan and a user from the beginning. You've been open about how you've been using it. And I'm sure that you use it in your own life and your efficiency. But obviously AI is. We mentioned the Nvidia class. I'm sure that Masterclass, you're thinking about AI in many different ways. I'd love to hear how you think about this AI moment personally, how you think about it for Masterclass, for efficiency, for creation, for what you teach. Okay.

[A]

I have very strong points of view on this.

[B]

Please.

[A]

And I always feel I'm behind. And I'm going to preface what I'm saying because it's going to provoke and instigate a little bit that I think I'm right on about 80% of it. I'm not sure which 80% AI, it's looking like will be the biggest technological shift maybe in the history of humanity. If you look back at other technological shifts and the displacements they cause, the. If you are on the losing side of it, it's very, very bad. Giving you example in the. Or give you some stats in the past. If you're on the losing side of that, your lifetime income drops by over 20%. If you're on the losing side of it, your mortality rate that first year that you're displaced, it doubles.

[B]

Oh, wow.

[A]

So it will literally has a chance to kill you.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I'm afraid that people aren't adapting fast enough to it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So one, I think it is an imperative for anybody who isn't in the trades or a nurse to become very proficient in AI. And the cost if you don't is the health and financial independence of you and your whole family.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That's number. So I think that's like the first thing. So I think a lot of you'll see the emphasis of Masterclass. We've been really pushing how can we make this something that we can help you. Yeah. One of the things that we just did was in collaboration with. Great. Sorry, Sorry. Loud Cartwheed by in collaboration with OpenAI and the University of Chicago Booth.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

We launched a 12 week program called Masterclass Executive. It's a business program that is AI first. It's taught by AI and by individuals and you're learning all the business skills you need to thrive in this world. We have 500 spots for the first cohort. We admissions is still open. We have over 12,000 applications. It'll be harder to get into than Harvard Business School. I want to figure out a way how to open it up, but I think the world needs more and more of these types of things. What I am seeing internally at Masterclass and other companies and firms is the people who are biggest risk are the people. How many of you watch it? Let me ask you, did you ever get advice from somebody that you need to pick a specialty and go deep in that area? Yes, I did too. That advice is probably shit now, to be honest, Unless you're In the top 1% of that craft, somebody, a junior person using AI can be as good as you are.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So we're seeing people that were specialists, that were good but not great. I don't need them anymore.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What worse? And then people who are in their jobs who are good but aren't using AI. Somebody who does your job with AI is now so much better than you that I don't need you anymore either. So the people that are thriving are people that were in the top 1% of their craft or are a generalist.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And so I think for most people watching in the world, we need to become good at being a generalist. I know that was very like not tangible, but I'll say in a tangible saying. I mean, AI has transformed not only masterclass, but our personal life.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

My wife and I have a point system of our family goals that AI tracks for us and we get prizes for those goals and text messages every day how we're do, how we are doing on those. That sounds like it's awesome. For me, I'm working on seven hours of sleep a night. Yeah, that is like a big thing for me. So it tracks my sleep and tells me so. I mean it is. I have a assistant with AI that writes drafts of my Slack messages and my. In my emails. I mean it is. If you aren't doing these things, I think if you're a CEO or an executive or any manager and you're not using AI like this, you. You're basically telling your team it's okay if you're only half as pro as. You're okay being half as pro, as productive as you can be.

[B]

Totally.

[A]

And that's, I don't think the message most people want.

[B]

That's, that's true.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And generalists with AI, I mean it's like generalists who can boost your productivity with AI, with AI.

[A]

But it also means if you're like a marketer, you should be good. You should learn how to do paid marketing and social marketing and some design and some engineering. So it's. But yes, it's using across all those.

[B]

Yes, yes. Yeah. No, I buy it. I think it is a very. It's a, it's a technology that's going to transform everything in a huge way. And yeah, finding yourself on the wrong side of it when it becomes a requirement for almost every job, which I think is coming. It's not a place you want to be. I very much hear you.

[A]

And in education. We all study that the best way to learn something is one on one instruction. So why do we still sit in a classroom with 300 people? It's simple. It's cost. It's simply cost. Now AI can do that for 4 cents. So if you're still designing and looking at the pedagogy and the structure of a classroom, you are going to be a dinosaur.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. It's important message for everybody listening to

[A]

this and yeah, we would love to help. If anybody cares about it. I love this thing. I care. I'm very passionate about.

[B]

I want to double click on the masterclass executive program because you mentioned doing it in a, in the masterclass way. And one of the things that I think differentiates this is a huge AI component both in, both in the delivery and in the topic. But there's also a lot of experts.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

What type of experts, what type of masterclass instructors are in the executive program?

[A]

I mean, it's like an impossible group of instructors. You have, I believe now it's a faculty about 20 instructors. Three of them believe have a Nobel Prize. Three of them are billionaires, one's a Turing Award winner.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

The three or four of them are CEOs of some of the big of the hottest AI tech companies. Example of folks, everybody from Tony Robbins on influence on how to influence people in an AI world. The interpersonal is still going to be really important. And we got to like, actually, really, you're going to be judging on that. We have Mark Cuban on what entrepreneurship and investing looks like.

[B]

Right.

[A]

We have Raid Dalio on how the economic shift is going to impact.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

We have the CEOs of Gamma 11 Labs and lovable. I mean, it is a diverse mix of people.

[B]

Yeah, it's a diverse mix of the top people.

[A]

Of the top of the top people we have. One of my favorites is Indra Nui, who's on the board at aws.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Was the Pepsi fio. Yeah. I mean, she's telling you how strategy has changed in today's world and is one of the most interesting things that she's observed is that strategy used to be. I'm going to pick a vision, I'm going to go for it. She says the world is changing way too fast for that. You now have to have three paths that are mapped out. Well, that totally shifts what a strategy is. It's no longer a strategy. It's like the problem space of problem space that you'd be able to be responsive with. Only these are people that you want to learn from. All for 1% of the cost of a. Of a master's degree.

[B]

That's exciting. I'm going to get on the wait list. Awesome. Thanks. Awesome.

[A]

Good.

[B]

David Rohe is the CEO and founder of Masterclass. This has been amazing.

[A]

Awesome.

[B]

Really fun. Thanks so much.