It’s been a long day, and you’re getting ready to go to sleep. Suddenly, you get a notification that reminds you to finish your lesson. Oh no! You quickly rush to open the Duolingo app and preserve your streak. You complete the lesson, and you’re exhausted. But something keeps drawing you back, making you crave more. Maybe it’s the reward from the next quest you finish, or maybe it’s moving into the promotion zone for your current league. Regardless, you work tirelessly to finish what you started, and you eventually do! It only took 45 minutes, but you saved yourself from the clutches of the green owl for one more day.
This daily cycle is how Duolingo, one of the most widely known language learning platforms, operates. This app, also available on the web, combines gamification with educational aspects to captivate users and maintain their engagement. Gamification, in simple terms, is the process of transforming teachable material into a “game” of sorts, creating a bond between the platform and the user. On Duolingo, this is apparent through the use of streaks, achievements with tiers, quests, and leagues. All of these work together to foster engagement and motivate users to return to the platform. Of course, we can’t forget about the infamous Duolingo Super ads, which constantly prompt users to pay money for an uninterrupted learning experience with specialized assistance. Duolingo has grown a lot (and inevitably garnered some criticism) since its conception in 2011, but no matter what, the company tries to stay true to its core ideal of keeping learning a language free for all.
Duolingo was created by CAPTCHA and reCAPTCHA inventor Luis von Ahn in collaboration with computer scientist Severin Hacker. Throughout his childhood, von Ahn had noticed that better opportunities were limited to the more affluent individuals, which prompted him to create a platform that provides language-learning technology to everyone free of charge. Just like that, Duolingo came to life. The company initially experienced a slow start, but its gamification and occasional push notifications (notifications that arrive regularly and provide related information specific to that app) eventually led to strong support and a larger consumer base. After its startup stage, Duolingo began partnering with companies for translation services, boosting its popularity.
Duolingo expanded further by releasing a feature that allowed users to certify their English proficiency with a test. This test gained traction, as several universities approved it as a valid test, and it was offered at only a fraction of the cost of most standardized language tests. This test enabled Duolingo to generate revenue while keeping language tools accessible to the general public. The company later released Duolingo for Schools, which allowed teachers to utilize the full extent of the platform and create assignments for their students, all free of charge. These two features made Duolingo particularly popular among some teachers, gradually spreading its influence to many others as well.
After Duolingo became more widespread, many would often remember Duo (the green owl mascot) bombarding them with requests to do a lesson. This assertiveness later became a meme, which the company slowly leaned into. Little by little, Duolingo made a presence on social media, rapidly increasing in followers and support in recent years.
Arguably, Duolingo’s biggest hit came in 2023. The company had just released new projects that assisted with math and music, but they also released a new plan called Duolingo Max. This innovative new idea incorporated artificial intelligence into Duolingo’s learning program, which introduced several new features to the app. These features included “Explain My Answer” (provides in-depth descriptions for answers, and explains why an answer is wrong), “Roleplay” (allows the user to practice conversational skills with Duolingo characters), and “Video Call with Lily” (similar to Roleplay, but more of a one-on-one scenario). At the same time, this innovation came at the expense of many workers, who were laid off and replaced by AI. Other than this, the plan was revolutionary, albeit quite pricey. However, the satisfaction soon faded as many consumers realized that the features were often faulty, and more proficient users tended to find them rather underwhelming in terms of complexity. Sales were skyrocketing, but Duolingo had failed to secure public relations.
Fast forwarding to the start of 2025, nothing much had happened since the release of Duolingo Max, but that was all about to change. In February 2025, Duolingo jokingly announced some news: the mascot had been fatally hit by a Tesla Cybertruck. Unexpectedly, sincere grievances poured in from all around the world, and many celebrities reached out to publicly mourn the loss of a beloved icon. The tragic event became so mainstream that even news stations began covering this topic. However, two weeks after Duo’s demise, the company issued a statement saying that the owl had come back to life. Many were elated at the delivery of this news, but others noted something: this was a stunt pulled by Duolingo to gain attention and strengthen its public image. The marketing ploy garnered mixed reactions, with some finding the act amusing, while others perceived Duolingo to be milking its popularity to the last drop.
Regardless, the company is still thriving today, and Luis von Ahn eventually did reach his goal: a platform that offers free language-learning lessons (along with some optional upgrades). The company faced some minor roadblocks and issues along the way, but by staying true to its cause and employing tactical strategies, Duolingo has become one of the most prominent digital empires in the world.
Sources:
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