Learn what they don’t teach in business school. Follow @dh for real-world strategies, lessons, and stories that drive success.

Better results.Better experience.Human connection. Let AI be the engine—not the identity. Don’t let innovation turn you into the villain.

You can’t build a lovable brand, then flip the switch and act like a faceless tech company. People will notice. AI is powerful. It’s the future. But it’s not the headline. Users don’t log on thinking: “I hope this app uses more AI today.”. They just want:

Personalization. Not: “We saved money by firing people.”. That story belongs in a boardroom, not a press release. The irony?. Duolingo did make the product better with AI. But the way they told the story made it sound like they were celebrating layoffs.

They care about what they experience. Better lessons? Great. Fewer humans? Not the story they want to hear. So here’s the lesson—especially if your brand is jumping into AI:. Only talk about AI when it directly helps the user. Faster results.Better features.

So when Duolingo casually celebrated replacing real people with AI, it felt like a betrayal. Here’s the real mistake:. It wasn’t using AI. That’s smart. It was marketing AI as a reason to celebrate cutting humans out. Most users don’t care what’s under the hood.

It was about how Duolingo talked about it. People have an emotional connection with Duolingo. They associate it with:. Learning something new.Daily rituals.Internet humor. A helpful, friendly brand.

Duolingo felt like it had hit a breakthrough. But users saw something else entirely. The message people heard wasn’t:. “AI is making learning better.”. It was:. “We’re replacing humans with machines.”. The backlash wasn’t really about AI.

The owl that once reminded you to practice Spanish?. Now it was a symbol of corporate coldness. But here’s the thing…. From a business view, the decision made sense. AI helped:. Scale faster.Personalize lessons.Cut costs.Improve efficiency.

“We’ll gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle.”. That one line changed everything. Suddenly, the internet turned. TikTok exploded with angry reactions. Instagram comments went sour. Twitter threads tore into the company.

Compared to fewer courses in the entire previous 12 years. AI was working. Big time. So far, so good, right?. Smarter tech, faster progress, better product. But then came the sentence. It was meant to be a side note. But it hit like a bomb:

So Duolingo did what every smart company does: It adapted. Fast. CEO Luis von Ahn made the new direction clear: Duolingo would become an AI-first company. And the numbers? Impressive:. 150 new language courses launched in one year.

People didn’t just use Duolingo—they cheered it on. But behind the memes and gamified lessons, pressure was building. Language apps were popping up everywhere. Growth needed to continue. AI was taking over every part of tech.

For over a decade, Duolingo was everyone’s favorite education app. It made learning languages feel like a game. It became the number one free education app on Google Play. The owl mascot turned into a meme legend. Their social media? Funny, weird, relatable.

Duolingo just became the villain of the AI age. Yes, Duolingo. The cute green owl. The app everyone loves. Why?.Because of one statement:. “We’ll gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle.”. And people lost it. Here's the full story:🧵

Learn what they don’t teach in business school. Follow @dh for real-world strategies, lessons, and stories that drive success.

Today, Kodak is remembered more for its downfall than its dominance. Its story is a testament to the dangers of complacency and the power of innovation. For businesses everywhere, Kodak’s fate serves as a stark reminder: If you don’t adapt, you’ll be left behind.

4. Follow Consumer Trends. People wanted instant, easy photography. Kodak clung to film while others adapted—and won. 5. Leadership Makes the Difference. Kodak lacked bold leaders willing to take risks. Companies need visionaries who embrace change, not fear it.

2. Don’t Let Short-Term Gains Cost You Long-Term Growth. Kodak prioritized film sales over the future. That shortsightedness cost them their empire. 3. Timing Is Everything. Kodak invented digital photography but hesitated. By the time they acted, competitors were miles ahead.

Here are my key takeaways:. 1. Disrupt Yourself Before Someone Else Does. Kodak feared digital cameras would disrupt its film business. And they were right. But by refusing to embrace the disruption, they handed the market to their competitors.