Duolingo is saying no to San Francisco. The language learning application is headquartered in Pittsburgh, a city not widely recognized as a major hub for startups and venture capital. In a post on LinkedIn, Duolingo stated it will never open a San Francisco office. The company explained that this decision helps them maintain the unique culture they desire.
Duolingo elaborated that they built their headquarters in Pittsburgh because they believe meaningful work does not require chasing trends or paying sky-high rent. The company emphasized that Pittsburgh was never a backup plan to the Bay Area.
The company’s other United States offices are located in Detroit, New York City, and Seattle. While startups can thrive all across the world, the pressure to establish a presence near the Bay Area remains significant. This topic is prominent enough to warrant a panel discussion at an upcoming tech conference.
Duolingo wrote that Pittsburgh is not trying to become the next Silicon Valley, and they believe that is precisely the point. Some might view this stance as promotional for a city without a notably successful baseball team. However, the company is likely correct that building outside of San Francisco helps them avoid the distracting noise of Silicon Valley.