Luis Von Ahn

No, I mean, at this point, I don't do this, but I will tell you, for example, the first person I ever had to fire didn't understand that they were being fired because I sugarcoated it so much that they showed up the next day. They showed up the next day and I'm like, I thought I fired them. So I've gotten a lot better at being direct, but that has taken a lot of training.

No, I mean, at this point, I don't do this, but I will tell you, for example, the first person I ever had to fire didn't understand that they were being fired because I sugarcoated it so much that they showed up the next day. They showed up the next day and I'm like, I thought I fired them. So I've gotten a lot better at being direct, but that has taken a lot of training.

No, I mean, at this point, I don't do this, but I will tell you, for example, the first person I ever had to fire didn't understand that they were being fired because I sugarcoated it so much that they showed up the next day. They showed up the next day and I'm like, I thought I fired them. So I've gotten a lot better at being direct, but that has taken a lot of training.

Well, we were here and we wanted to stay here. I mean, I was here because I was a professor at Carnegie Mellon. Severin was also here because he was a PhD student here. And so we were here and we decided to... We saw no reason to move at the time. And then we just started growing and growing. And at some point, we were kind of too big to move.

Well, we were here and we wanted to stay here. I mean, I was here because I was a professor at Carnegie Mellon. Severin was also here because he was a PhD student here. And so we were here and we decided to... We saw no reason to move at the time. And then we just started growing and growing. And at some point, we were kind of too big to move.

Well, we were here and we wanted to stay here. I mean, I was here because I was a professor at Carnegie Mellon. Severin was also here because he was a PhD student here. And so we were here and we decided to... We saw no reason to move at the time. And then we just started growing and growing. And at some point, we were kind of too big to move.

In retrospect, a lot of people have asked me what would have happened had I started Duolingo in Silicon Valley. And of course... It's impossible to tell what really could have happened. Like, I don't know. There's pros and cons of having created it here. Some of the good things are, one is the people that you hire here stick around for a very long time.

In retrospect, a lot of people have asked me what would have happened had I started Duolingo in Silicon Valley. And of course... It's impossible to tell what really could have happened. Like, I don't know. There's pros and cons of having created it here. Some of the good things are, one is the people that you hire here stick around for a very long time.

In retrospect, a lot of people have asked me what would have happened had I started Duolingo in Silicon Valley. And of course... It's impossible to tell what really could have happened. Like, I don't know. There's pros and cons of having created it here. Some of the good things are, one is the people that you hire here stick around for a very long time.

In fact, if you look at right now our employees, I mean, the average tenure is pretty high. I mean, a lot of people have been around for a long time. That's a good thing. Because you get these people that get really good at what they do because they've been doing it for eight years or however long. So that's a good thing.

In fact, if you look at right now our employees, I mean, the average tenure is pretty high. I mean, a lot of people have been around for a long time. That's a good thing. Because you get these people that get really good at what they do because they've been doing it for eight years or however long. So that's a good thing.

In fact, if you look at right now our employees, I mean, the average tenure is pretty high. I mean, a lot of people have been around for a long time. That's a good thing. Because you get these people that get really good at what they do because they've been doing it for eight years or however long. So that's a good thing.

The other thing that I think was good was in terms of hiring executives, it allowed us to hire executives. We punched above our weight because we ended up hiring an executive team, many of whom for one reason or another had had long careers, for example, in Silicon Valley, but had to be here in Pittsburgh either because they had aging parents here in Pittsburgh or something.

The other thing that I think was good was in terms of hiring executives, it allowed us to hire executives. We punched above our weight because we ended up hiring an executive team, many of whom for one reason or another had had long careers, for example, in Silicon Valley, but had to be here in Pittsburgh either because they had aging parents here in Pittsburgh or something.

The other thing that I think was good was in terms of hiring executives, it allowed us to hire executives. We punched above our weight because we ended up hiring an executive team, many of whom for one reason or another had had long careers, for example, in Silicon Valley, but had to be here in Pittsburgh either because they had aging parents here in Pittsburgh or something.

And they had to be here for one reason or another. And we were the best game in town. And so had we been in Silicon Valley, they wouldn't have worked for us. They were kind of outside of our league. So this allowed us to hire really good executives. That's another thing.

And they had to be here for one reason or another. And we were the best game in town. And so had we been in Silicon Valley, they wouldn't have worked for us. They were kind of outside of our league. So this allowed us to hire really good executives. That's another thing.

And they had to be here for one reason or another. And we were the best game in town. And so had we been in Silicon Valley, they wouldn't have worked for us. They were kind of outside of our league. So this allowed us to hire really good executives. That's another thing.

Yes, we were the biggest fish in this pond. That was good. That helped us. And then the last thing that helped us, I think, is when we started in 2011, Education has never been hot in terms of, you know, funding or whatever. It's just what it allowed us to do here in Pittsburgh is it allowed us to not get distracted by the latest fads.

Yes, we were the biggest fish in this pond. That was good. That helped us. And then the last thing that helped us, I think, is when we started in 2011, Education has never been hot in terms of, you know, funding or whatever. It's just what it allowed us to do here in Pittsburgh is it allowed us to not get distracted by the latest fads.