Luis Von Ahn

No. Fortunately not. Do your employees think that? No, no, no. Do they agree with you? You know why? You know why? This was... You know, we've done a lot of dumb things at Duolingo, but this was not one of the dumb things we did in retrospect. From my first message saying everybody's going to go work remote, in that message, I said, but we're going to come back to the office.

No. Fortunately not. Do your employees think that? No, no, no. Do they agree with you? You know why? You know why? This was... You know, we've done a lot of dumb things at Duolingo, but this was not one of the dumb things we did in retrospect. From my first message saying everybody's going to go work remote, in that message, I said, but we're going to come back to the office.

Like, I do not want Duolingo to turn into a remote company. We are not a remote company. And so we kept saying that the whole time. And when we would hire, you know, a lot of companies did this thing where during the pandemic, they would hire people all over the world because whatever, you're remote. We never did that.

Like, I do not want Duolingo to turn into a remote company. We are not a remote company. And so we kept saying that the whole time. And when we would hire, you know, a lot of companies did this thing where during the pandemic, they would hire people all over the world because whatever, you're remote. We never did that.

Like, I do not want Duolingo to turn into a remote company. We are not a remote company. And so we kept saying that the whole time. And when we would hire, you know, a lot of companies did this thing where during the pandemic, they would hire people all over the world because whatever, you're remote. We never did that.

Whenever we hired people, we would say, yeah, I get that you're not coming to the office right now, but your job is in New York and we expect you to be in New York. And because, you know, at some point, hopefully soon we will be back in the office. So we just never stopped repeating that. And so by the time we said, OK, time to go back to the office, this was not a surprise for anybody.

Whenever we hired people, we would say, yeah, I get that you're not coming to the office right now, but your job is in New York and we expect you to be in New York. And because, you know, at some point, hopefully soon we will be back in the office. So we just never stopped repeating that. And so by the time we said, OK, time to go back to the office, this was not a surprise for anybody.

Whenever we hired people, we would say, yeah, I get that you're not coming to the office right now, but your job is in New York and we expect you to be in New York. And because, you know, at some point, hopefully soon we will be back in the office. So we just never stopped repeating that. And so by the time we said, OK, time to go back to the office, this was not a surprise for anybody.

And I don't think we lost a single employee for that.

And I don't think we lost a single employee for that.

And I don't think we lost a single employee for that.

That's probably true. We are not in San Francisco, and that's probably true. Although the New York office is now the second largest, and we also didn't lose people in New York.

That's probably true. We are not in San Francisco, and that's probably true. Although the New York office is now the second largest, and we also didn't lose people in New York.

That's probably true. We are not in San Francisco, and that's probably true. Although the New York office is now the second largest, and we also didn't lose people in New York.

Sure. I mean, compared to before, I mean, for example, we do, we're not here five days a week. We're in the office. So we, the way we work is Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, you have to be in the office. Monday and Friday, it's optional. What happens in practice is Monday about half the people come in and Fridays is like 20% of the people come in.

Sure. I mean, compared to before, I mean, for example, we do, we're not here five days a week. We're in the office. So we, the way we work is Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, you have to be in the office. Monday and Friday, it's optional. What happens in practice is Monday about half the people come in and Fridays is like 20% of the people come in.

Sure. I mean, compared to before, I mean, for example, we do, we're not here five days a week. We're in the office. So we, the way we work is Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, you have to be in the office. Monday and Friday, it's optional. What happens in practice is Monday about half the people come in and Fridays is like 20% of the people come in.

I am here in the office, though. I am here in the office. I come. But I would say I don't feel like I have the political power inside this company to say, all right, people, you've got to come in five days a week. I feel like that would not go over well.

I am here in the office, though. I am here in the office. I come. But I would say I don't feel like I have the political power inside this company to say, all right, people, you've got to come in five days a week. I feel like that would not go over well.

I am here in the office, though. I am here in the office. I come. But I would say I don't feel like I have the political power inside this company to say, all right, people, you've got to come in five days a week. I feel like that would not go over well.