Keep pulling the thread on Luis Von Ahn.
Duolingo expects its Duolingo English Test to surpass the TOEFL in test volume this year.
Currently, 98 of the top 100 U.S. universities, as ranked by US News and World Report, accept the Duolingo English Test.
Duolingo is strategically reducing its reliance on contractors and limiting new headcount growth in favor of AI-driven automation.
Duolingo now uses AI to generate the content for all of its new subject courses, such as math, music, and chess.
The initial prototype for Duolingo's chess course was created in four to five months by two non-engineers with no prior chess knowledge, using AI tools.
Duolingo's TikTok account is one of the top five most-followed brand accounts globally and generates approximately 20% of the company's new users.
Luis Von Ahn believes his biggest mistake was waiting until year six to monetize Duolingo instead of year three, which he estimates set the company back by three years.
Duolingo's first investor, Union Square Ventures, invested primarily because of Luis Von Ahn's previous company sale to Google, not because they believed in the education business model.
Duolingo currently has over 46 million daily active users and a market valuation of over $14 billion.
Duolingo has 10 million users who have maintained a daily usage streak for at least one year.
Duolingo found that leaderboards with anonymous strangers who are equally committed are more effective for user motivation than leaderboards with friends.
In 2016, Duolingo raised a funding round at a valuation of approximately $500 million despite having zero revenue.