Duolingo Embraces Gamification of Learning Ahead of IPO

While Robinhood pushes back against any suggestion that it is deliberately gamifying investing, another company about to go public — language-learning app Duolingo — is placing its gamification skills front and center.

Why it matters: According to Duolingo’s prospectus, “the high engagement driven by gamification leads to consistent learning and demonstrable efficacy.”

How it works: Duolingo has A/B tested its way to a highly addictive app, in a successful attempt to solve the biggest problem in language learning, which is that people aren’t motivated to spend enough time doing it.