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  • January 2023
  • Teaching Note
  • HBS Case Collection

Duolingo: Teaching Languages to the Masses

By: Youngme Moon
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:16
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Abstract

Teaching Note for HBS Case 323-016. At the time the case is written, Duolingo is the most popular language learning service in the world. The company has more than 40 million monthly active users, and the company’s total annual revenue has reached $250 million a year. Still, the sustainability of the business appears uncertain. Critical questions involve the company’s approach to monetization, as well as the robustness of its customer growth model. For now, the company’s bet on gamification as a mechanism to fuel user engagement appears to be working, but it is also creating tensions involving everything from the company’s stated purpose to the company’s revenue generation model.

Keywords

Marketing; Marketing Strategy; Customer Relationship Management; Acquisition; Retention; Innovation and Invention

Citation

Moon, Youngme. "Duolingo: Teaching Languages to the Masses." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 323-070, January 2023.
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About The Author

Youngme Moon

General Management
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More from the Author
  • Team Liquid: Fueling the Business of Fandom By: Youngme Moon and Kerry Herman
  • Bringing Ideas to Life: The Story of Paul English By: Youngme Moon, Frances X. Frei and F. Katelynn Boland
  • Duolingo: Teaching Languages to the Masses By: Youngme Moon
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