Anonymous
When prioritizing competing features for Duolingo, I'd start by diving deep into our user data and feedback. What are language learners struggling with most? Where do we see drop-offs in engagement? I'd look at metrics like daily active users, lesson completion rates, and user retention across different features.
Next, I'd align potential features with Duolingo's core mission of making language learning accessible and effective. Does a feature significantly improve learning outcomes or make the experience more engaging? How does it fit into our gamification model?
I'd also consider our business goals. While Duolingo's core app is free, we need to balance features that drive user growth with those that might convert free users to premium subscribers.
Resource constraints are crucial too. I'd work closely with our engineering team to understand the complexity and development time for each feature. A quick win that takes a week to implement might take priority over a more impactful feature that requires months of work.
To systematically evaluate features, I might use a framework like RICE (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort) scoring. This helps quantify our assessment and makes the prioritization process more objective.
Importantly, I'd ensure we're balancing short-term improvements with our long-term vision. For instance, a feature introducing more speaking exercises might be a bigger effort but could dramatically improve learning outcomes and differentiate us from competitors.
Finally, I'd emphasize an iterative approach. We could release features as A/B tests to a subset of users, gather data on their impact, and refine our priorities based on real-world performance.
Throughout this process, I'd collaborate closely with our cross-functional teams - from curriculum experts to UI designers - to ensure we're considering all perspectives and creating the best possible learning experience for our users
