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Duolingo's Karin Tsai explains how Duolingo balances its mission to educate and entertain players while still turning a profit without compromising the team's core ethical values.

September 23, 2020

1 Min Read

Duolingo is a neat piece of software that aims to teach you the basics of other languages. Its developers have long tried to make an honest piece of software that's genuinely educational and doesn't waste your time. Simultaneously, it is a free app, and it needs to make money somehow!

Fortunately for Duolingo users, engineer Karin Tsai says that the company has made sure to prioritize the needs of its "students" while working to make sure the app is profitable. And some the lessons from this process are useful for video game design as well. 

Tsai discussed these lessons in her 2020 GDC Summer session, which you can view in its entirety up above or for free on the GDC YouTube channel. 

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