Lv

Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

We built a culture of iteration and continuous improvement at Duolingo, which has been crucial for our growth.

Lv

Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

Eighty percent of our users in the United States were not learning a language before using Duolingo, which shows how we expanded the market.

Lv

Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

For the first five years, we focused solely on improving user retention without making any money, which made our product stickier.

Lv

Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

We learned that running A/B tests is essential because it helps us understand what features actually improve user engagement.

Lv

Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

It's important to listen to user feedback, but we focus on understanding the underlying problems rather than just implementing their feature requests.

Lv

Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

Our marketing strategy initially relied on PR and organic growth, especially leveraging our unique owl mascot, which became a viral sensation.

Lv

Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

When we hired our first CMO, we shifted to a more professional marketing approach, which included experimenting with various campaigns.

Lv

Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

We embraced the memes surrounding our owl mascot, which helped us connect with users and enhance our brand presence.

Lv

Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

We found that our marketing efforts, including viral videos, significantly increased user engagement and brand awareness. It's crucial that every user understands the product's purpose, which also applies to our marketing efforts, ensuring that our messaging is clear and relatable to the audience.

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Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

We found that with social media marketing, it's okay if not everyone understands the content, as long as it resonates with the target audience. This approach has worked well for us, especially on platforms like TikTok.

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Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

Our marketing strategy has successfully replicated across multiple countries, with TikTok and YouTube accounts in places like Germany, Japan, and Brazil, all using the same effective formula.

Lv

Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

The essence of our marketing is not about direct selling; instead, we focus on creating entertaining content that builds a personality for our brand, particularly our owl mascot, which has become a beloved figure.

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Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

The personality of our owl mascot evolved over time, initially sparked by a passive-aggressive notification that resonated with users, leading to a strong emotional connection and a wealth of memes.

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Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

We have a system in place to avoid posting content that could lead to backlash, but we also embrace a level of risk in our marketing, understanding that some content may not resonate with everyone.

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Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

When we faced backlash for a controversial comment on social media, we learned the importance of being cautious with sensitive topics and the potential consequences of our messaging.

Lv

Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

Our marketing budget is relatively small, around $50 million a year, and we often take advantage of opportunities like billboard inventory to maximize our reach without overspending.

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Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

We prioritize a scrappy approach to marketing, often shifting our budget based on where advertising costs are most effective, allowing us to operate efficiently across various markets.

Lv

Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

We initially underestimated the complexity of teaching languages, but through A/B testing and hiring experts in second language acquisition, we significantly improved our teaching methods.

Lv

Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

In the early days of Duolingo, we realized that keeping users motivated was the biggest challenge in language learning, which led us to incorporate game mechanics into our lessons.

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Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

Our goal is to democratize education, and while we initially thought we could monetize through user-generated translations, we found that a freemium model was more effective for our growth.

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Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

We decided to implement ads in a way that wouldn't degrade the user experience, ensuring that our free users still receive a quality product while generating revenue for the company.

Lv

Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

As we branch out into subjects like math and music, the biggest challenge is creating a learning experience that is as engaging and effective as our language courses.

Lv

Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

Our real competition is not other language learning apps but rather the time users spend on their phones, like on TikTok or Instagram.

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Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

As long as Duolingo is as engaging as TikTok, we have a good chance of keeping users, because they feel they are improving their language skills instead of wasting time.

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Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

Duolingo has about 24 million daily active users, but we aim to reach 500 million, indicating significant room for growth.

Lv

Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

From the beginning, Duolingo's goal was to teach languages using AI instead of human teachers, as humans are expensive and not scalable.

Lv

Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

The emergence of large language models has allowed us to create a conversational partner that we couldn't build before, enhancing the user experience.

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Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

Going public has elevated Duolingo's operations, forcing us to operate at a higher level and maintain a cleaner organizational structure.

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Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

We have been successful because we are good at forecasting and do not overpromise, which has helped us maintain strong investor confidence.

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Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

There are not many consumer companies that have reached a valuation between $5 billion and $25 billion, indicating a unique challenge in the market.

Lv

Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

Many consumer companies struggle because they rely heavily on performance marketing, which can erode profit margins and lead to unsustainable business practices.

Lv

Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

Duolingo has never relied on performance marketing, allowing us to maintain good margins and avoid the pitfalls that many consumer apps face.

Lv

Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

We prioritize hiring exceptional individuals at Duolingo, looking for diverse definitions of exceptionalism beyond traditional metrics like education.

Lv

Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

I've learned that as a leader, it's crucial to take responsibility for failures and to foster a culture where accountability is valued.

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Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

To truly understand something, you must be able to explain it simply, a lesson I learned during my PhD that has shaped my approach to teaching and communication.

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Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

Today, more people are learning languages through Duolingo in the US than through the entire education system combined, highlighting our impact on language learning.

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Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

If I could change one thing about the US education system, it would be to ensure that every teacher is exceptional, as they are the most critical factor in student success.

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Luis von Ahn

12/01/23

@ The Logan Bartlett Show

I once created a honeypot website to catch students cheating on math problems, which revealed that 30% of my class had attempted to find solutions online.

The Marketing Formula that Propelled Duolingo to 500M Users

Takeaways