Luis Von Ahn

Luis von Ahn, Co-founder and CEO of Duolingo, discusses the groundbreaking changes his app has made in self-guided education. He reveals how gamification and mobile-first strategies propelled Duolingo to success. Von Ahn shares personal stories about the transformative power of learning English and the backstory of the app's beloved green owl mascot. The conversation also dives into monetization challenges, user engagement tactics, and the role of AI in evolving language learning. Tune in for insights on the future of education technology!

Luis Von Ahn, the co-founder and CEO of Duolingo, shares insights on revolutionizing language learning through gamification and AI. He discusses how Duolingo adapts to diverse user needs globally and details the expansion into teaching math and music. The innovative 'Adventures' feature gamifies real-world tasks, enhancing engagement. Von Ahn also talks about navigating the company's transition to public, balancing quality with investor expectations, and the complexities of effective feature rollouts across platforms.

Luis von Ahn, educational technologist and founder of Duolingo, tackles the challenge of making learning as addictive as social media. He shares insights on how Duolingo employs techniques from mobile games to hook learners, discussing the importance of accessibility in education. Listeners discover how gamification and visual storytelling can revolutionize learning, making it engaging and effective. Von Ahn's mission is clear: democratize education globally while ensuring that the thrill of learning rivals the captivating nature of platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

Luis von Ahn, CEO of Duolingo, discusses the marketing formula that propelled Duolingo to 500M users. Topics include user retention, A/B testing, balancing user feedback and data, viral marketing, social media marketing, dealing with controversial content, monetization challenges, expanding beyond languages, going public, employee selection, improving the education system, and setting up a honeypot website to catch cheaters.

Luis von Ahn, a computer scientist and entrepreneur, discusses his groundbreaking journey from creating CAPTCHA to co-founding Duolingo. He reveals how an academic problem inspired a tech solution that became essential for internet security and digitization. Luis shares personal anecdotes from his childhood in Guatemala and how they fueled his passion for accessible education. He also explains the innovative freemium model of Duolingo and the balance between profitability and providing free language learning, alongside humorous moments that led to his entrepreneurial success.

Luis von Ahn, co-founder of Duolingo, discusses the evolution of language learning and insights into crowdsourcing. Balaji Srinivasan, a former CTO of Coinbase, dives into the intersection of literature and geopolitical strategies, emphasizing the implications of online ideological battles. Dr. Matt Kaeberlein elaborates on the Dog Aging Project and the revolutionary potential of rapamycin in extending canine lifespans. Together, their conversations offer a melting pot of technology, health, and societal reflections.

Luis von Ahn (@luisvonahn) is an entrepreneur and computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University. He is known for inventing CAPTCHAs, being a MacArthur Fellow ("genius grant" recipient), and selling two companies to Google in his 20's. Luis has been named one of the 10 Most Brilliant Scientists by Popular Science Magazine, one of the 50 Best Brains in Science by Discover, one of the Top Young Innovators Under 35 by MIT Technology Review, and one of the 100 Most Innovative People in Business by FastCompany Magazine. Luis is currently the co-founder and CEO of Duolingo, a language learning platform created to bring free language education to the world. With more than 100 million users, it is the most popular way to learn languages in the world, and it is the most downloaded app in the Education category on both iTunes (5-star average, 3,300+ reviews) and Google Play. I first met Luis as an early investor in Duolingo, and every time I meet him, I learn something new. In this conversation, we talk about: What 2-3 books and resources he'd recommend to entrepreneurs Language learning tips The clever way he caught cheating students at Carnegie Mellon Early mentors and key lessons learned The story of building and selling reCAPTCHA How to recruit and vet technical talent Duolingo's most surprising sources of users, and much more... Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.fourhourworkweek.com/podcast. This podcast is brought to you by 99Designs, the world's largest marketplace of graphic designers. I have used them for years to create some amazing designs. When your business needs a logo, website design, business card, or anything you can imagine, check out 99Designs. I used them to rapid prototype the cover for The 4-Hour Body, and I've also had them help with display advertising and illustrations. If you want a more personalized approach, I recommend their 1-on-1 service. You get original designs from designers around the world. The best part? You provide your feedback, and then you end up with a product that you're happy with or your money back. Click this link and get a free $99 upgrade. Give it a test run. This episode is also brought to you by Headspace, the world’s most popular meditation app (more than 4,000,000 users). It’s used in more than 150 countries, and many of my closest friends swear by it. Try Headspace’s free Take10 program — 10 minutes of guided meditation a day for 10 days. It’s like a warm bath for your mind. Meditation doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive, and it’s had a huge impact on my life. Try Headspace for free for a few days and see what I mean.***If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading the reviews!For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Visit tim.blog/sponsor and fill out the form.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Luis von Ahn, the innovative mind behind CAPTCHA and CEO of Duolingo, shares insights from his journey from Guatemala to developing a leading language-learning app. He draws a whimsical comparison between engaging tasks and Tom Sawyer's cleverness in making chores fun. The conversation delves into the social benefits of language learning and the challenges facing the translation industry. Von Ahn also discusses Duolingo's mission for free education and its unique monetization strategies, offering a glimpse into the evolving landscape of academia and tech.

Luis von Ahn, CEO and co-founder of Duolingo, shares insights on building a $17 billion language learning platform without sacrificing mission for profit. He recounts how an intern birthed the viral green owl mascot and discusses the app's unique revenue model, where only 10% of users contribute to 30% of the revenue. Emphasizing long-term goals over immediate gains, he explores Duolingo's innovative company culture, the importance of experimentation for user retention, and how gamification transformed the learning experience.

Luis von Ahn, CEO and co-founder of Duolingo, sheds light on the fascinating interplay between humans and AI. He discusses the evolution of CAPTCHA technology and its role in training machines, creating a unique synergy between users and systems. The conversation also delves into how advanced AI is revolutionizing language learning on platforms like Duolingo, making the process more personalized and engaging. Von Ahn shares insights on the future of language education and the societal implications of AI in our daily lives.