#607: Luis von Ahn, Co-Founder and CEO of Duolingo — How to Be (Truly) Mission-Driven, Monetization Experiments, 10x Growth, Org Chart Iterations for Impacting Metrics, The Intricate Path to an IPO, Best Hiring Practices, Catching Exam Cheaters, The Allure of Toto Toilets, The Future of Duolingo, and How to Stand Out in Your Career
The Tim Ferriss Show
<p><strong>Brought to you by </strong><a href="https://www.athleticgreens.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Athletic Greens</strong></a><strong> all-in-one nutritional supplement, </strong><a href="http://helixsleep.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Helix Sleep</strong></a><strong> premium mattresses, and </strong><a href="https://linkedin.com/Tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>LinkedIn Jobs</strong></a><strong> recruitment platform with 800M+ users. </strong></p><p><strong>Luis von Ahn </strong>(<a href="https://twitter.com/luisvonahn?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@LuisvonAhn</a>) is an entrepreneur and consulting professor at Carnegie Mellon University, who is considered one of the pioneers of crowdsourcing. He is known for co-inventing CAPTCHAs, being a MacArthur fellow, and selling two companies to Google in his twenties.</p><p>He is currently the co-founder and CEO of <a href="https://www.duolingo.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Duolingo</strong></a>, a language-learning platform created to bring free language education to the world. With more than 500 million users, it is now the most popular language-learning platform and the most downloaded education app in the world.</p><p>Luis has been named one of the <a href="https://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2006-09/fifth-annual-brilliant-10/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Brilliant 10</a> by <em>Popular Science, </em>one of the <a href="https://web-preview.cs.cmu.edu/news/2008/von-ahn-named-one-best-brains-science" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">50 Best Brains in Science</a> by <em>Discover</em>, one of the <a href="http://www2.technologyreview.com/tr35/profile.aspx?TRID=631" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Innovators Under 35</a> by <em>MIT Technology Review</em>, and one of the <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/most-creative-people/2010" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">100 Most Creative People in Business</a> by <em>Fast Company</em>. Luis also won the 2018 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemelson%E2%80%93MIT_Prize" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lemelson-MIT prize</a>, the largest cash prize for invention in the U.S.</p><p><strong>This episode is brought to you by </strong><a href="https://linkedin.com/Tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>LinkedIn Jobs</strong></a><strong>.</strong> Whether you are looking to hire now for a critical role or thinking about needs that you may have in the future, <a href="https://linkedin.com/Tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn Jobs</a> can help. LinkedIn screens candidates for the hard and soft skills you’re looking for and puts your job in front of candidates looking for job opportunities that match what you have to offer.</p><p>Using LinkedIn’s active community of more than 800 million professionals worldwide, <a href="https://linkedin.com/Tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>LinkedIn Jobs</strong></a> can help you find and hire the right person faster. <strong>When your business is ready to make that next hire, find the right person with LinkedIn Jobs. And now, you can post a job for free.</strong> <a href="https://linkedin.com/Tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Just visit LinkedIn.com/Tim</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p><p><strong>*</strong></p><p><strong>This episode is also brought to you by </strong><a href="https://www.athleticgreens.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Athletic Greens</strong></a><strong>.</strong> I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually <a href="https://www.athleticgreens.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AG1</a> by <a href="https://www.athleticgreens.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Athletic Greens</a>, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in <em>The 4-Hour Body</em> in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but <a href="https://www.athleticgreens.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AG</a> further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system. </p><p><strong>Right now, </strong><a href="https://www.athleticgreens.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Athletic Greens</strong></a><strong> is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchase</strong>—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. <strong>Visit </strong><a href="https://www.athleticgreens.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>AthleticGreens.com/Tim</strong></a><strong> to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and five free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! </strong>That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.</p><p>*</p><p><strong>This episode is also brought to you by </strong><a href="http://helixsleep.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Helix Sleep</strong></a><strong>!</strong> Helix was selected as the #1 overall mattress of 2020 by <em>GQ </em>magazine<em>, Wired, </em>Apartment Therapy, and many others. With <a href="http://helixsleep.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Helix</a>, there’s a specific mattress to meet each and every body’s unique comfort needs. Just take their quiz—<a href="http://helixsleep.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">only two minutes to complete</a>—that matches your body type and sleep preferences to the perfect mattress for you. They have a 10-year warranty, and you get to try it out for a hundred nights, risk-free. They’ll even pick it up from you if you don’t love it. <strong>And now, Helix is offering up to 200 dollars off all mattress orders plus two free pillows at </strong><a href="http://helixsleep.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>HelixSleep.com/Tim</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p><p>*</p><p>[05:03] Why the Duolingo owl is green</p><p>[06:47] The core cause behind Duolingo’s creation, and how Duolingo has evolved over the years</p><p>[12:48] Duolingo’s monetization efforts that didn’t quite pan out</p><p>[21:06] After initial reluctance, how was the Duolingo workforce convinced monetization needed to happen?</p><p>[25:06] As machine-driven translation services get more sophisticated, will human beings still seek to learn other languages via Duolingo?</p><p>[29:31] The most pursued/influential languages in the Duolingo system currently</p><p>[39:14] The development of Duolingo’s org chart</p><p>[45:40] Why Duolingo uses a daily metric</p><p>[48:33] Book recommendations</p><p>[50:26] Luis’ most worthwhile investments</p><p>[52:20] New beliefs, behaviors, or habits</p><p>[55:20] Recent life-changing purchases</p><p>[1:02:39] What Luis’ updated 2022 billboard might say</p><p>[1:06:14] What Luis means when he refers to Duolingo’s “mission,” and how the company’s long view affects decision making</p><p>[1:12:34] How Duolingo hires good candidates for the long haul</p><p>[1:18:50] Why and how Duolingo went public</p><p>[1:25:42] The biggest challenges Luis faces as CEO of a public company</p><p>[1:30:50] Duolingo is expanding to teach more than languages</p><p>[1:36:18] The Duolingo English Test: proficiency testing from home accepted by 4,200 academic programs across the world</p><p>[1:39:51] How Luis’ expertise at catching cheaters during his time as a professor at Carnegie Mellon makes Duolingo products more trustworthy as accredited sources</p><p>[1:43:39] The brief conversation with Luis’ personal trainer that changed his routine breakfast — to a different routine breakfast</p><p>[1:44:38] Advice to young, driven people entering the working world</p><p>[1:48:07] How Luis has become better at saying “No.”</p><p>[1:49:56] Luis’ request of the audience and parting thoughts</p><p>*</p><p><strong>For show notes and past guests on </strong><a href="http://tim.blog/podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><em>The Tim Ferriss Show</em></strong></a><strong>, please visit</strong> <a href="https://tim.blog/podcast/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=podcast-description" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>tim.blog/podcast</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p><p><strong>For deals from sponsors of </strong><a href="http://tim.blog/podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><em>The Tim Ferriss Show</em></strong></a><strong><em>, </em>please visit </strong><a href="http://tim.blog/podcast-sponsors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>tim.blog/podcast-sponsors</strong></a></p><p><strong>Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (<em>5-Bullet Friday</em>) at </strong><a href="https://go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-1/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>tim.blog/friday</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p><p><strong>For transcripts of episodes, go to </strong><a href="http://tim.blog/transcripts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>tim.blog/transcripts</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p><p><strong>Discover Tim’s books: </strong><a href="http://tim.blog/books" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>tim.blog/books</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p><p><strong>Follow Tim:</strong></p><p><strong>Twitter</strong>: <a href="https://twitter.com/tferriss" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">twitter.com/tferriss</a> </p><p><strong>Instagram</strong>: <a href="https://instagram.com/timferriss/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">instagram.com/timferriss</a></p><p><strong>YouTube</strong>: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/timferriss" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">youtube.com/timferriss</a></p><p><strong>Facebook</strong>: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TimFerriss/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">facebook.com/timferriss</a> </p><p><strong>LinkedIn: </strong><a href="http://linkedin.com/in/timferriss" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">linkedin.com/in/timferriss</a></p><p>Past guests on <a href="http://tim.blog/podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><em>The Tim Ferriss Show</em></strong></a> include <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/12/08/jerry-seinfeld/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jerry Seinfeld</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/06/26/hugh-jackman/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hugh Jackman</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/04/16/jane-goodall/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr. Jane Goodall</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2018/11/27/lebron-james-mike-mancias/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LeBron James</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/05/20/kevin-hart/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kevin Hart</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2018/09/07/doris-kearns-goodwin-leadership/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Doris Kearns Goodwin</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2015/12/06/jamie-foxx/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jamie Foxx</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/10/19/matthew-mcconaughey/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Matthew McConaughey</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2017/05/21/esther-perel/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Esther Perel</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/05/08/elizabeth-gilbert/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Elizabeth Gilbert</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2017/12/20/terry-crews-how-to-have-do-and-be-all-you-want/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Terry Crews</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/08/12/sia/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sia</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/10/27/yuval-noah-harari/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Yuval Noah Harari</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2016/06/21/malcolm-gladwell/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Malcolm Gladwell</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/05/27/secretary-madeleine-albright/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Madeleine Albright</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2017/03/30/cheryl-strayed/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cheryl Strayed</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2019/02/18/jim-collins/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jim Collins</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/11/11/mary-karr/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mary Karr,</a> <a href="https://tim.blog/2014/10/21/brain-pickings/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Maria Popova</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/05/15/sam-harris-2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sam Harris</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2021/01/21/michael-phelps-grant-hackett/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Michael Phelps</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2020/01/16/bob-iger/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bob Iger</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2019/10/31/edward-norton-motherless-brooklyn/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Edward Norton</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2015/02/02/arnold-schwarzenegger/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Arnold Schwarzenegger</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2014/06/24/neil-strauss/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Neil Strauss</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2019/09/12/ken-burns/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ken Burns</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2017/08/26/maria-sharapova/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Maria Sharapova</a>, <a href="https://tim.blog/2016/05/29/marc-andreessen/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Marc Andreessen</a>, <a 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