# How I Built Resilience: Sonia Gil of Fluenz

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2020-10-22
- Length: 19m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-10-22-how-i-built-resilience-sonia-gil-of-fluenz

## Summary

Sonia Gil, founder and CEO of Fluenz, explains how her language learning company pivoted from in-person immersion programs to online delivery when the pandemic forced a shutdown. She details the rapid development of a new digital immersion format that preserved the cultural and personal elements of the original experience while leveraging data to individualize instruction. Gil discusses the operational challenges of managing refunds, retaining staff, and bootstrapping the business during the crisis, ultimately finding that the online model offered superior precision in identifying student learning gaps.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-10-22-how-i-built-resilience-sonia-gil-of-fluenz#t=0) Introduction: Sonia Gil and Fluenz
- [1:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-10-22-how-i-built-resilience-sonia-gil-of-fluenz#t=100) Fluenz's Origin and Digital Methodology
- [4:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-10-22-how-i-built-resilience-sonia-gil-of-fluenz#t=270) Launch of In-Person Immersion Programs
- [6:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-10-22-how-i-built-resilience-sonia-gil-of-fluenz#t=387) Pandemic Shutdown and Immediate Crisis Response
- [11:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-10-22-how-i-built-resilience-sonia-gil-of-fluenz#t=670) Financial Triage and Team Retention
- [13:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-10-22-how-i-built-resilience-sonia-gil-of-fluenz#t=814) Designing the Online Immersion Pivot
- [16:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-10-22-how-i-built-resilience-sonia-gil-of-fluenz#t=964) Customer Acquisition and Community Building
- [18:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-10-22-how-i-built-resilience-sonia-gil-of-fluenz#t=1099) Future Outlook and Hybrid Model

## Topics

- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Fluenz (company)
- U.S. Bank (company)
- Visa (other)

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## Citing this page

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