Duolingo CEO Shares 5 Success Tips for New Hires

Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn has provided five key tips for new hires to succeed at the company. Every September, Duolingo welcomes a cohort of new graduates. Recently, von Ahn shared insights on how these employees can best contribute and thrive within the organization.

Earlier this week, von Ahn noted in a LinkedIn post that 42 new graduates joined Duolingo this fall. As of April, the language learning app employed over 850 people and was valued at approximately $15 billion.

Von Ahn advised new employees to avoid approaching their roles with 'massive egos' or engaging in untrustworthy behavior. He emphasized that Duolingo's culture identifies and rejects toxic behavior swiftly.

He recounted an early company incident where two engineers handled the absence of a company blog differently. One complained without action, while the other initiated the blog unprompted. The latter was more successful at Duolingo, von Ahn explained.

Von Ahn encouraged new hires to prioritize the company's and their team's interests, aligning with Duolingo's mission to provide free language education.

Using the Duolingo app is essential to understanding its value, von Ahn stated. He continues to report app bugs to enhance user experience.

Success, according to von Ahn, is '65% luck' and '35% hard work over two decades.' Persistence and showing up are key, as luck will eventually follow.