It’s that app with the owl. That app where you can instantly start learning anything from Spanish to Swahili, Hebrew to Hawaiian. But what’s behind the enormous success of Duolingo, the language learning app that now has over 300 million users around the world? Laura Nestler is Duolingo’s global head of community, bringing together learners and teachers from a multitude of countries and cultures. On this episode of Tickets we get into the art & science of building global communities, the unexpected secrets behind preserving a Duolingo streak, and compare notes on London’s best cocktail bars and fried chicken shops... Episode overview: 05:00: Duolingo’s beginning from a Captcha and a ReCaptcha 15:00: How much does an owl need to cry for you to come back to Duolingo?(!) 20:00: How to grow a community internationally (and Londoners' lack of eagerness...and Mexican food spots) 29:00: The growth of Duolingo's in-person events 40:00: Getting a new community off the ground: from 1, to 9, then 90