How do I install the Duo Growth skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add hktitan/duo-growth in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Duo Growth safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Duo Growth?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Duo Growth free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free. This skill is licensed under MIT.

Who published Duo Growth?

HKTITAN (@hktitan) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Duo Growth by hktitan — Agent Skill

Name: Duo Growth
Author: HKTITAN

Duo Growth

Duolingo-style growth that doesn't break retention — viral loops, brand-as-acquisition (the TikTok playbook), referral mechanics, localization as a growth lever, and the founder-mode marketing that turned a mascot into a meme. Use when the user is planning acquisition, building a referral system, considering paid vs. organic, evaluating a marketing channel, or trying to turn an existing brand into a growth engine. Source the Duolingo Handbook (Make It Fun) and observed marketing patterns from 2022–2025.

HKTITAN Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

Duolingo Growth — Map of Content

Duolingo grew to 100M+ DAU with a paid-marketing budget that's small relative to peers. The mechanism: brand and product are the growth channel. This skill names the moves so they're copyable on a smaller budget.

This skill is structured as a graph: scan the descriptions below, follow only the [[wikilinks]] you need.

In-product growth

[[references/viral-loops]] — designed mechanics where retained users invite new ones without being asked.
[[references/social-mechanics]] — leagues and friends as growth surfaces, not just retention surfaces.
[[references/referrals]] — referral programs that don't poison the user experience.

Brand-as-acquisition

[[references/brand-as-acquisition]] — the central bet: a memorable mascot is cheaper than performance ads forever.
[[references/duo-tiktok]] — the unhinged-mascot playbook, deconstructed.
[[references/marketing-stunts]] — Duo's "death," the Super Bowl ad, the meme-able press cycle.
[[references/gen-z-positioning]] — why the brand voice matched a generation, and what that costs.

Distribution

[[references/localization-as-growth]] — translating the product (and the joke) for 40+ markets as the actual growth lever.
[[references/earned-media]] — designing for press coverage, not buying it.
[[references/founder-mode-marketing]] — the CEO and a mascot manager doing what most companies hand to a 20-person agency.

Sibling skills

[[../duo-voice/SKILL]] — voice is growth; same nodes, different framing.
[[../duo-retention/SKILL]] — growth without retention is a leaky bucket; the long-view discipline starts there.
[[../duo-product/SKILL]] — the intuitive-by-default bar is a growth lever (no onboarding tax).

Sources

Duolingo Handbook (2025), Principle #5: Make It Fun
@duolingo social channels (2021–2025) — observed marketing
blog.duolingo.com — marketing case studies

---name: duo-growthdescription: Duolingo-style growth that doesn't break retention — viral loops, brand-as-acquisition (the TikTok playbook), referral mechanics, localization as a growth lever, and the founder-mode marketing that turned a mascot into a meme. Use when the user is planning acquisition, building a referral system, considering paid vs. organic, evaluating a marketing channel, or trying to turn an existing brand into a growth engine. Source the Duolingo Handbook (Make It Fun) and observed marketing patterns from 2022–2025.license: MIT---# Duolingo Growth — Map of ContentDuolingo grew to 100M+ DAU with a paid-marketing budget that's small relative to peers. The mechanism: brand and product *are* the growth channel. This skill names the moves so they're copyable on a smaller budget.This skill is structured as a **graph**: scan the descriptions below, follow only the `[[wikilinks]]` you need.## In-product growth- [[references/viral-loops]] — designed mechanics where retained users invite new ones without being asked.- [[references/social-mechanics]] — leagues and friends as growth surfaces, not just retention surfaces.- [[references/referrals]] — referral programs that don't poison the user experience.## Brand-as-acquisition- [[references/brand-as-acquisition]] — the central bet: a memorable mascot is cheaper than performance ads forever.- [[references/duo-tiktok]] — the unhinged-mascot playbook, deconstructed.- [[references/marketing-stunts]] — Duo's "death," the Super Bowl ad, the meme-able press cycle.- [[references/gen-z-positioning]] — why the brand voice matched a generation, and what that costs.## Distribution- [[references/localization-as-growth]] — translating the product (and the joke) for 40+ markets as the actual growth lever.- [[references/earned-media]] — designing for press coverage, not buying it.- [[references/founder-mode-marketing]] — the CEO and a mascot manager doing what most companies hand to a 20-person agency.## Sibling skills- [[../duo-voice/SKILL]] — voice is growth; same nodes, different framing.- [[../duo-retention/SKILL]] — growth without retention is a leaky bucket; the long-view discipline starts there.- [[../duo-product/SKILL]] — the *intuitive-by-default* bar is a growth lever (no onboarding tax).## Sources- Duolingo Handbook (2025), Principle #5: *Make It Fun*- @duolingo social channels (2021–2025) — observed marketing- blog.duolingo.com — marketing case studies

Frequently asked questions