Process
Weird vibes all around, from the recruiter to the interviewers, who seemed like they were being held hostage. The recruiter said in the rejection email that my code was non-functioning even though it passed all the test cases. They could've just said a simple "not a match." It seems that SLOW is one of the core values of an employee here.
Questions
LeetCode medium string-based question.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 50 interview experiences for the Duolingo Software Engineer role.
Success Rate
10%
Pass Rate
Duolingo's interview process for their Software Engineer roles is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.
Experience Rating
Positive50%
Neutral32%
Negative18%
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Duolingo's Software Engineer interview process.
Duolingo Work Experiences
5.0
Great culture and mission
Software Engineer • Current Employee
New York, NY
April 29, 2026
Pros: There were great people, an awesome culture, a wholesome mission, and interesting work.
Cons: It is a bit slow. Given the company size and focus on building apps, it sometimes lacks truly technically challenging work, although there is still a lot if you look for it.
5.0
Fantastic place to work and grow as an engineer
Software Engineer • Former Employee
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
December 28, 2022
Pros: - Generally a joy to show up to work every day.
- Excellent engineering culture. Everyone I worked with seemed to be genuinely excited to be there, solving problems and working on new things.
- Management highly values employee satisfaction and career growth. I had lots of opportunities to learn new skills and take on new challenges.
Cons: - Living in Pittsburgh isn't for everyone, and most positions are located there.
- The company has grown a lot over the last few years, which has made for constant change in teams, people, processes, features, code/architecture – just about everything.
This isn't really a con for the right type of person, and it may mellow out as the company transitions out of the late-stage startup phase, but be prepared for a very dynamic environment.
5.0
Great Culture, Good Pay
Software Engineer • Current Employee
May 31, 2023
Pros: Great culture and good pay.
Cons: Great company, not a lot of cons.
- 5.0Great culture and missionSoftware Engineer • Current EmployeeNew York, NYApril 29, 2026Pros: There were great people, an awesome culture, a wholesome mission, and interesting work.Cons: It is a bit slow. Given the company size and focus on building apps, it sometimes lacks truly technically challenging work, although there is still a lot if you look for it.
- 5.0Fantastic place to work and grow as an engineerSoftware Engineer • Former EmployeePittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United StatesDecember 28, 2022Pros: - Generally a joy to show up to work every day. - Excellent engineering culture. Everyone I worked with seemed to be genuinely excited to be there, solving problems and working on new things. - Management highly values employee satisfaction and career growth. I had lots of opportunities to learn new skills and take on new challenges.Cons: - Living in Pittsburgh isn't for everyone, and most positions are located there. - The company has grown a lot over the last few years, which has made for constant change in teams, people, processes, features, code/architecture – just about everything. This isn't really a con for the right type of person, and it may mellow out as the company transitions out of the late-stage startup phase, but be prepared for a very dynamic environment.
- 5.0Great Culture, Good PaySoftware Engineer • Current EmployeeMay 31, 2023Pros: Great culture and good pay.Cons: Great company, not a lot of cons.
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