How I Built A $6.5 Billion App Called Duolingo | Founder Effect

CNBC Make It • November 26, 2022

CNBC Make It

About

At CNBC Make It, we want to help you get smarter about how you earn, save and spend your money. Join us. Get inspired. Make it.

Latest Posts

How I Turned A $6K Airsteam Trailer Into A $500K A Year Business

CNBC Make It

I Left Corporate America For South Africa — Here's How Much It Costs

CNBC Make It

I Left The U.S. For Vietnam — Here's How Much It Costs

CNBC Make It

I Left The U.S. For Portugal — Here's How Much It Costs

CNBC Make It

Essential Startup Tools

AI-recommended products based on this video

tomtoc 360° Protective Laptop Sleeve for 15-inch MacBook Air M4/A3241 2025, M3/A3114 2024, M2/A2941 2023, 15-inch MacBook Pro A1990 A1707, Dell XPS 15 Plus Laptop, Water-Resistant Computer Case Bag Global Recycled Standard

(12,968)

$39.55

FREE delivery Tue, Jun 17

tomtoc 360° Protective Laptop Sleeve for 13-inch New MacBook Air M4/A3240 2025, M3/A3113, M2/A2681 M1/A2337 A2179 A1932, 13-inch MacBook Pro M2/A2686 M1/A2338, Water-Resistant Computer Case Bag Global Recycled Standard

(12,952)

$36.07

PrimeFREE delivery Sat, Jun 14

100+ bought in past month

Metapen Air 8 Apple Pencil for iPad 2018-2025, 20H Battry Life, 2Min Fast Charging, Palm Rejection, Stylus Pen for iPad 11/10/9/8/7/6th, iPad Pro 12.9/11/13“M4, iPad Air 3/4/5/6/M2/M3, iPad mini 5/6

(1,985)

$14.22

FREE delivery Tue, Sep 9 on your first order

1K+ bought in past month

ERGOMAKER 55-inch Electric Standing Desk, Adjustable Height Stand Desk, Sit Stand Desk with Computer Workstation, Rustic Brown

(369)

$199.99

FREE delivery Thu, Jun 26

Best Seller

BEXEVUE Standing Desk, Height Adjustable Electric Desk, 48 x 24 Inches Adjustable Desk, Small Computer Home Office Desk with Splice Board (White)

(268)

$149.99

FREE delivery Thu, Jun 26

200+ bought in past month

Portable Rolling Desk on Wheels Small Standing Desk Adjustable Height Desks with Wheels for Small Spaces, 32" Computer Desk with Storage Shelves for Home Office Study,Rustic

(25)

$89.99

FREE delivery Thu, Jun 26

200+ bought in past month

SHW 55 x 28 Inches Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk with Drawer and Memory Preset, 140 x 71 cm, Maple

(20,343)

$289.87

FREE delivery Thu, Jun 26

50+ bought in past month

Monster Persona SE ANC Active Noise Cancelling Headphones, Bluetooth Headphones Over Ear with 60H Playtime, HiFi Stereo Audio, Deep Bass, Wireless Headphones for Office

(2)

$59.99

FREE delivery Tue, Nov 11

200+ bought in past month

Monster Persona 6th ANC Active Noise Cancelling Headphones, Bluetooth Headphones Over Ear with HiFi Stereo Audio, 60H Playtime, 3 EQ Modes, Bluetooth 6.0, Wireless Headphones for Travel Work, Black

(33)

$61.99

FREE delivery Sat, Nov 22

500+ bought in past month

Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones, Bluetooth Over Ear Headphones with Up to 24 Hours of Battery Life, Moonlight Grey - Limited Edition

(12,251)

$269.00

FREE delivery Tue, Oct 14

Monster Persona 6th ANC Active Noise Cancelling Headphones, Bluetooth Headphones Over Ear with HiFi Stereo Audio, 60H Playtime, 3 EQ Modes, Bluetooth 6.0, Wireless Headphones for Travel Work, White

VersionTECH. Gaming Mouse Ergonomic Wired Computer Mouse with 7 Colors LED Backlight, 4 DPI Settings Up to 3600 DPI Compatible for Chromebook Windows 7/8/10/11 XP/Mac/Linux Gamer/Notebook/MacBook

(15,947)

$12.79

FREE delivery Thu, Sep 11 on your first order

500+ bought in past month

LODVIE Wireless Mouse for Laptop,2400 DPI Wireless Computer Mouse with 6 Buttons,2.4G Ergonomic USB Cordless Mouse,15 Months Battery Life Mouse for Laptop PC Mac Computer Chromebook MacBook-Black

(7,870)

$14.99

Prime

2K+ bought in past month

Frizzlife SW10 Under Sink Water Filter System, NSF/ANSI 53&42 Certified, Reduces 99.99% Lead, Chlorine, Bad Taste & Odor, Direct Connect Under Counter Drinking Water Filter, High Capacity, 0.5 Micron

(6,458)

$99.99

FREE delivery Tue, Sep 23

iSpring RCC7, NSF Certified, High Capacity Under Sink 5-Stage Reverse Osmosis Water Filter, RO Drinking System, 75 GPD, Brushed Nickel Faucet, Patented Top-Mounted Faucet Design for Easy Installation

(19,760)

$316.00

FREE delivery Tue, Sep 23

100+ bought in past month

Waterdrop RF15-UF 0.01 Micron Replacement Filter Cartridge for 15UA/15UA-UF/15UB/15UB-UF/15UC/15UC-UF Under Sink Water Filter, Reduces Lead, Chlorine, Bad Taste & Odor, 16K Gallons High Capacity

(1,161)

$53.99

FREE delivery Tue, Sep 23

200+ bought in past month

Electric Cordless Hair Straightener Brush, Portable Straightening Brush for Women, Mini Hair Straightener for Travel, High Capacity Rechargeable Fast Heating Straight Comb, 8x2x1.8inch, 0.9lb, Gray/Red Rose

(231)

$31.99

FREE delivery Wed, Aug 20 on your first order

200+ bought in past month

ASUS ZenScreen 15.6” 1080P Portable Monitor (MB16ACVR) - Full HD, IPS, Eye Care, Flicker Free, Blue Light Filter, Kickstand, USB-C Power Delivery, for Laptop, PC, Phone, Console, Antibacterial Surface

(2,000)

$209.00

FREE delivery Aug 11 - 13

Desnuage Teardrop Aquamarine Hoop Earrings Sterling Silver Dangle Light Blue Earrings for Women

(1)

$19.99

FREE delivery Sun, Jul 6 on your first order

Watforsh Big Blue Leaf Silver Dangle Earrings for Women Boho Earrings Drop with Light Blue and Beige Bohemian Tropical Style Plant Dangling for Gift

(1)

$20.99

FREE delivery Sun, Jul 6 on your first order

IPROKKO Laptop 14 inch Privacy Screen Filter for Hp/Dell/Thinkpad/Lenovo/Samsung/Asus/Sony, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Removable Anti Blue Light Glare Protector, 14 in Privacy Shield

(137)

$31.99

FREE delivery Tue, Jun 17 on your first order

Laptop Stand for Desk, Adjustable Laptop Riser ABS+Silicone Foldable Portable Laptop Holder, Ventilated Cooling Notebook Stand for 10-15.6” Laptops,Tablet-Black

(11,679)

$14.99

FREE delivery Sat, Jun 14 on your first order

500+ bought in past month

Wooden Japanese Folding Low Tea Table with Folding Legs, Bamboo Floor Desk, Multipurpose Meditation, Coffee, Laptop, Dining, and Picnic Table – Compact and Portable (60x60x23.5cm, 70x70x28.5cm)

(0)

$442.41

FREE delivery Aug 27 - Sep 18

Hi.FANCY Portable Laptop Stand with Dual Cooling Fans for 14-17inch Laptops, Grey, 23.5 x 25.9 x 0.95cm

(0)

$36.99

FREE delivery Aug 18 - 28

UPERFECT Portable Monitor 18.5 inch 120 Hz 100% sRGB 1080P Portable Laptop Monitor w/Smart Cover, VESA & Speakers, Frameless IPS HDR Gaming Monitor USB-C HDMI Travel Second Monitor

(7,311)

$252.76$240.72

$13.32 delivery Sat, Aug 9

How I Built A $6.5 Billion App Called Duolingo | Founder Effect

CNBC Make It

About

Latest Posts

How I Turned A $6K Airsteam Trailer Into A $500K A Year Business

I Left Corporate America For South Africa — Here's How Much It Costs

I Left The U.S. For Vietnam — Here's How Much It Costs

I Left The U.S. For Portugal — Here's How Much It Costs

You May Also Like

Essential Startup Tools

tomtoc 360° Protective Laptop Sleeve for 15-inch MacBook Air M4/A3241 2025, M3/A3114 2024, M2/A2941 2023, 15-inch MacBook Pro A1990 A1707, Dell XPS 15 Plus Laptop, Water-Resistant Computer Case Bag Global Recycled Standard

tomtoc 360° Protective Laptop Sleeve for 13-inch New MacBook Air M4/A3240 2025, M3/A3113, M2/A2681 M1/A2337 A2179 A1932, 13-inch MacBook Pro M2/A2686 M1/A2338, Water-Resistant Computer Case Bag Global Recycled Standard

Metapen Air 8 Apple Pencil for iPad 2018-2025, 20H Battry Life, 2Min Fast Charging, Palm Rejection, Stylus Pen for iPad 11/10/9/8/7/6th, iPad Pro 12.9/11/13“M4, iPad Air 3/4/5/6/M2/M3, iPad mini 5/6

ERGOMAKER 55-inch Electric Standing Desk, Adjustable Height Stand Desk, Sit Stand Desk with Computer Workstation, Rustic Brown

BEXEVUE Standing Desk, Height Adjustable Electric Desk, 48 x 24 Inches Adjustable Desk, Small Computer Home Office Desk with Splice Board (White)

Portable Rolling Desk on Wheels Small Standing Desk Adjustable Height Desks with Wheels for Small Spaces, 32&quot; Computer Desk with Storage Shelves for Home Office Study,Rustic

SHW 55 x 28 Inches Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk with Drawer and Memory Preset, 140 x 71 cm, Maple

Monster Persona SE ANC Active Noise Cancelling Headphones, Bluetooth Headphones Over Ear with 60H Playtime, HiFi Stereo Audio, Deep Bass, Wireless Headphones for Office

Monster Persona 6th ANC Active Noise Cancelling Headphones, Bluetooth Headphones Over Ear with HiFi Stereo Audio, 60H Playtime, 3 EQ Modes, Bluetooth 6.0, Wireless Headphones for Travel Work, Black

Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones, Bluetooth Over Ear Headphones with Up to 24 Hours of Battery Life, Moonlight Grey - Limited Edition

Monster Persona 6th ANC Active Noise Cancelling Headphones, Bluetooth Headphones Over Ear with HiFi Stereo Audio, 60H Playtime, 3 EQ Modes, Bluetooth 6.0, Wireless Headphones for Travel Work, White

VersionTECH. Gaming Mouse Ergonomic Wired Computer Mouse with 7 Colors LED Backlight, 4 DPI Settings Up to 3600 DPI Compatible for Chromebook Windows 7/8/10/11 XP/Mac/Linux Gamer/Notebook/MacBook

LODVIE Wireless Mouse for Laptop,2400 DPI Wireless Computer Mouse with 6 Buttons,2.4G Ergonomic USB Cordless Mouse,15 Months Battery Life Mouse for Laptop PC Mac Computer Chromebook MacBook-Black

Frizzlife SW10 Under Sink Water Filter System, NSF/ANSI 53&amp;42 Certified, Reduces 99.99% Lead, Chlorine, Bad Taste &amp; Odor, Direct Connect Under Counter Drinking Water Filter, High Capacity, 0.5 Micron

iSpring RCC7, NSF Certified, High Capacity Under Sink 5-Stage Reverse Osmosis Water Filter, RO Drinking System, 75 GPD, Brushed Nickel Faucet, Patented Top-Mounted Faucet Design for Easy Installation

Waterdrop RF15-UF 0.01 Micron Replacement Filter Cartridge for 15UA/15UA-UF/15UB/15UB-UF/15UC/15UC-UF Under Sink Water Filter, Reduces Lead, Chlorine, Bad Taste &amp; Odor, 16K Gallons High Capacity

Electric Cordless Hair Straightener Brush, Portable Straightening Brush for Women, Mini Hair Straightener for Travel, High Capacity Rechargeable Fast Heating Straight Comb, 8x2x1.8inch, 0.9lb, Gray/Red Rose

ASUS ZenScreen 15.6” 1080P Portable Monitor (MB16ACVR) - Full HD, IPS, Eye Care, Flicker Free, Blue Light Filter, Kickstand, USB-C Power Delivery, for Laptop, PC, Phone, Console, Antibacterial Surface

Desnuage Teardrop Aquamarine Hoop Earrings Sterling Silver Dangle Light Blue Earrings for Women

Watforsh Big Blue Leaf Silver Dangle Earrings for Women Boho Earrings Drop with Light Blue and Beige Bohemian Tropical Style Plant Dangling for Gift

IPROKKO Laptop 14 inch Privacy Screen Filter for Hp/Dell/Thinkpad/Lenovo/Samsung/Asus/Sony, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Removable Anti Blue Light Glare Protector, 14 in Privacy Shield

Laptop Stand for Desk, Adjustable Laptop Riser ABS+Silicone Foldable Portable Laptop Holder, Ventilated Cooling Notebook Stand for 10-15.6” Laptops,Tablet-Black

Wooden Japanese Folding Low Tea Table with Folding Legs, Bamboo Floor Desk, Multipurpose Meditation, Coffee, Laptop, Dining, and Picnic Table – Compact and Portable (60x60x23.5cm, 70x70x28.5cm)

Hi.FANCY Portable Laptop Stand with Dual Cooling Fans for 14-17inch Laptops, Grey, 23.5 x 25.9 x 0.95cm

UPERFECT Portable Monitor 18.5 inch 120 Hz 100% sRGB 1080P Portable Laptop Monitor w/Smart Cover, VESA &amp; Speakers, Frameless IPS HDR Gaming Monitor USB-C HDMI Travel Second Monitor

Loading...

Portable Rolling Desk on Wheels Small Standing Desk Adjustable Height Desks with Wheels for Small Spaces, 32" Computer Desk with Storage Shelves for Home Office Study,Rustic

Frizzlife SW10 Under Sink Water Filter System, NSF/ANSI 53&42 Certified, Reduces 99.99% Lead, Chlorine, Bad Taste & Odor, Direct Connect Under Counter Drinking Water Filter, High Capacity, 0.5 Micron

Waterdrop RF15-UF 0.01 Micron Replacement Filter Cartridge for 15UA/15UA-UF/15UB/15UB-UF/15UC/15UC-UF Under Sink Water Filter, Reduces Lead, Chlorine, Bad Taste & Odor, 16K Gallons High Capacity

UPERFECT Portable Monitor 18.5 inch 120 Hz 100% sRGB 1080P Portable Laptop Monitor w/Smart Cover, VESA & Speakers, Frameless IPS HDR Gaming Monitor USB-C HDMI Travel Second Monitor