Luis Von Ahn details the story behind Duolingo and its famous owl, how to do handle marketing in the TikTok era, hiring young talent, and using addictive habits for good.

Chapters

00:00:00 Intro & The Owl

00:02:35 Unhinged Marketing

00:06:09 TikTok Era

00:08:06 Owl As the Face + Approving Risky Posts

00:10:31 Hiring New Grads and “No Assholes”

00:14:29 Making Learning Feel Delightful

00:16:57 Addictive Habit Loops

00:18:38 Expanding Beyond Languages

00:19:26 Guatemala Roots + Free Education Mission

00:23:40 AI

00:31:00 Impact

00:36:58 What's Next for Duolingo?

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https://www.instagram.com/sophiakianni

https://www.instagram.com/duolingo

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https://www.tiktok.com/@theburnouts

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-burnouts

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Phoebe and Sophia aren’t just your hosts—they’re the founders of Phia, a fashion-tech app helping shoppers find the best prices across retail and resale. Download the app and help us grow → https://www.phia.com

About The Burnouts The Burnouts brings you raw, unfiltered conversations with today’s top founders, creators, athletes, and culture-shaping entrepreneurs. Hosted by Stanford roommates turned startup co-founders Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, the show goes beyond the headlines to reveal the real stories behind ambitious careers.

Past guests include Paris Hilton, Chelsea Handler, Kris Jenner, Karlie Kloss, and more.

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