Duolingo's $17B product handbook

What a treat.

Today, the Duolingo (valued at $17 billion) product team dropped a 35-page handbook covering what it takes to work at, thrive in, and deliver the Duolingo product.

The handbook teaches us the five principles Duolingo is built on:

1. Take the long view

2. Raise the bar

3. Ship it

4. Show don’t tell

5. Make it fun

While all five principles sound fun, the product-minded folks around (aka The Backlog’s audience) are particularly drawn to two…

Principle #3: Ship it

“For a good idea to become reality, we need to move with a sense of urgency. So Go, Go, Go!”

Principle #3 is all about shipping good product fast. While the Duolingo app is well-known worldwide as an excellent place to learn a new language, most product people also know Duolingo as a product that experiments relentlessly.

Ali Abouelatta, PM at Duolingo, and his First 1000 newsletter probably has a lot to do with that image. So does Lenny’s #1 guest post by Duolingo’s ex-CPO Jorge Mazal covering Duolingo's experimentation process.

Principle #3 shows us there’s method to the madness (if there was any doubt). ‘Ship it’ is about going fast, learning fast, and staying focused.

Principle #4: Show don’t tell

“We use clear, concise communication that is grounded in data and real impact.”

Duolingo prioritise prototypes over pitch decks. TL;DRs over long-winded PRDs. Metrics over narratives.

This principle won’t be a surprise to anyone who’s used Duolingo before. The intuitiveness of their product is off-the-charts. No instructions required. Everything looks and feels familiar.

We’re blessed to live in a time where hyper-successful products like Duolingo are willing to share such insights. Grab yourself a cup of coffee, plop yourself down on the couch, and revel in the glory of this handbook.

Then go ship.