# Advice Line with Luis von Ahn of Duolingo

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2025-05-01
- Length: 47m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-05-01-advice-line-with-luis-von-ahn-of-duolingo

## Summary

Duolingo co-founder and CEO Luis von Ahn joins Guy Raz to answer questions from three early-stage founders: Steph Crim of Good Things Vending, Blair Hasty of Bair, and Stephanie Carlson of Naturspire. Von Ahn advises Crim on scaling her art-filled vending machine business by leveraging scarcity and data, warns Hasty against betting on unproven platforms like the Vision Pro in favor of established ones, and urges Carlson to raise prices on her living plant walls to improve margins and fund growth. The episode highlights the importance of data-driven decision-making, understanding that stated consumer preferences often contradict actual behavior, and the necessity of pricing for profit to sustain operations.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-05-01-advice-line-with-luis-von-ahn-of-duolingo#t=0) Introduction: Luis von Ahn and Duolingo's Evolution
- [7:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-05-01-advice-line-with-luis-von-ahn-of-duolingo#t=460) Steph Crim and Good Things Vending: Scaling Art-Filled Machines
- [24:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-05-01-advice-line-with-luis-von-ahn-of-duolingo#t=1456) Blair Hasty and Bair: Product Focus and Platform Risk
- [34:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-05-01-advice-line-with-luis-von-ahn-of-duolingo#t=2099) Stephanie Carlson and Naturspire: Pricing and Hiring for Growth
- [45:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-05-01-advice-line-with-luis-von-ahn-of-duolingo#t=2743) Von Ahn's Advice to His Younger Self: Monetization and Hiring

## Topics

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

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Duolingo (product)
- Good Things Vending (company)
- Bair (company)
- Naturspire (company)
- Apple (company)
- Vision Pro (product)
- Tame (product)
- Tote (product)
- Instagram (product)
- TikTok (product)
- Apple Watch (product)
- Liquid Death (company)
- Coca-Cola (company)
- Pepsi (company)
- Danone (company)
- U.S. Bank (company)
- Visa (other)
- Google (company)
- Capital G (company)
- SBA (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Ep. 7: "You had me at wine" - Gregorio Santiago, on shifting your mindset from product to brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2020-07-30-ep-7-you-had-me-at-wine-gregorio-santiago-on-shifting-your-mindset-from-product) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Feature: Max Luthy of Plink!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-04-18-founder-feature-max-luthy-of-plink) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Investor Spotlight: Consumer Psychology, Channel Strategy, and What Actually Makes Brands Win — David Bell, Idea Farm Ventures](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-06-13-investor-spotlight-consumer-psychology-channel-strategy-and-what-actually-makes) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [#169 - "How to Take Advice" with Nikhil Arora](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-11-12-169-how-to-take-advice-with-nikhil-arora) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [085: Scaling Your Product Up After Crowdfunding](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-07-21-085-scaling-your-product-up-after-crowdfunding) (Product Startup)

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