How Duolingo Builds Products 10x Faster with AI

"These tools level up everybody to have much... way more productive and independent for themselves."

• AI tools empower product managers to create prototypes independently.
• Roles are evolving as PMs can perform tasks across disciplines.
• Staying current with AI advances is essential for product leaders.

"Daily retention is the king of all metrics for consumer products."

• Focus on retention to understand if users find value in your product.
• High retention rates indicate a successful, habit-forming product.
• Monitoring retention helps guide product improvements.

"Consumer products live and die in the pixels. Like I think you'll see that in the product, right?"

• High-quality design impacts user perception and engagement.
• Attention to detail can differentiate your product in the market.
• Investing in design excellence leads to better user experiences.

"We waited too long to apply the Duolingo magic to new subjects... We didn't have to wait that long."

• Expanding into new product areas sooner can unlock growth.
• Don't delay pursuing innovations where you have core competencies.
• Being proactive can prevent missed opportunities.

"Three things. One of them is the streak... Second... was leaderboards... Third is push notifications."

• Implement features that encourage daily habits, like streaks.
• Use leaderboards to foster competition and engagement.
• Utilize personalized push notifications to re-engage users.

"The best way to honestly like convince someone to buy something, meaning... have them go into the experience, have a call themselves, and then at the end say this is part of Duolingo Max."

• Allow users to experience premium features before presenting the paywall.
• Contextual and timely introduction of paywalls enhances conversion.
• Building trust and value first leads to better monetization.

"To build basically a large user base and if you want to build a large business, it's way more defensible to build a great free user experience and do it freemium rather than full premium."

• Freemium models encourage organic growth and user acquisition.
• Offering value for free builds trust and expands the user base.
• Freemium provides defensibility against competitors.

"There was a lot of resistance in the company for monetization... We launched with the view that if you did these things, you would screw up your amazing great consumer product."

• Early commitment to mission over revenue can delay monetization.
• Fear of harming user experience can hinder revenue opportunities.
• Testing monetization strategies carefully can balance mission and growth.

"I think we'll end up with these undefined builders that can use AI really well, and I think companies will employ a large number of those."

• AI will create hybrid roles that blend engineering, design, and product management.
• Companies may have more engineers, but they will work differently.
• Adapting to AI tools is crucial for staying competitive.

"I think what is likely to happen is, there is clear work definitions of what an engineer does today, what a product manager does, and what a designer does. I think these are going to converge way more."

• AI tools are breaking down barriers between roles, leading to more hybrid teams.
• Product professionals need to learn AI tools to enhance productivity.
• Embracing AI can lead to faster product development and innovation.