Duolingo Case Competition

Duolingo's challenge is a conversion problem: moving free users down the funnel to paid subscriptions. For the NYU Stern Marketing Society's Spring 2026 Case Competition, my team built a two-phase go-to-market plan targeting that exact drop-off.

Phase one is a short-term activation: Duolingo partners with NYC cafes to host themed, language-specific environments where users practice in person while socializing with other learners. Additional programming includes language-themed silent discos engineered to turn a screen-based habit into a social one. The goal is to convert passive app users into active subscribers by increasing interest in the community surrounding the app and thus willingness to stay.

Phase two is a long-term retention play: Duolingo will collaborate with Spotify to integrate curated podcasts, audiobooks, and playlists in Duolingo's supported languages, accessible directly in-app. It captures the learning moments that happen away from the core lesson path- commutes, workouts, and downtime- extending daily engagement and reinforcing the habit loop that separates trial users from subscribers.