Charles Esther
Duolingo’s chief technology officer, Severin Hacker, revealed his leadership approach centered on three key principles: reduce, automate, and delegate.
Hacker discussed this strategy during an episode of the “20VC” podcast published recently.
Balancing Founder Mode with Management
Hacker emphasized the importance of balancing what Silicon Valley calls “founder mode” — being deeply involved in day-to-day operations — with the need to implement some hierarchy and delegation as the company grows.
He noted that as Duolingo expanded to around 800 employees, his leadership style evolved accordingly.
The Three-Part Leadership Principle Explained
The first part, “reduce,” involves regularly assessing tasks to determine what is truly necessary.
Hacker said he asks himself once a month or quarter if a task is essential or if it can be dropped without serious consequences.
If a task is necessary, he then considers whether it can be automated.
Using tools like ChatGPT to automate tasks such as writing reports or answering questions is part of this phase.
The final step is delegation, where Hacker passes on responsibilities that cannot be automated.
He mentioned handing off most day-to-day engineering work to the head of engineering and focusing more on strategic issues.
Focusing on AI and Company Growth
Hacker revealed he spends around 80% of his time thinking about AI and how it should shape Duolingo’s future investments.
Duolingo has significantly increased its use of AI in the past year, including generating lessons and exploring AI-driven hiring and evaluation processes.
Duolingo’s Expansion and Success
The company’s user base has grown impressively, reaching over 46 million daily active users this year.
Its stock has also surged by 191% over the past year.
Duolingo has expanded beyond language learning, now offering courses in math, music, and chess.
Leadership Evolution Reflects Company Growth
Hacker pointed out that his role changes every year as the company grows.
He stressed the necessity of adding managerial layers at scale to maintain order and efficiency.
He referenced the Catholic Church as an example of a long-standing hierarchical organization.
CEO Luis von Ahn’s Leadership Perspective
Duolingo cofounder and CEO Luis von Ahn also acknowledged changes in his leadership style in a recent Stanford University interview.
Von Ahn said he no longer micromanages every detail, partly due to the company’s size, and focuses more on shaping culture and making tough philosophical decisions.
This evolution in leadership style aligns with Hacker’s approach to managing growth and innovation at Duolingo.
