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Ask HN: Is building a calm, non-gamified learning app a mistake?

86 points hussein-khalil | 4 comments | 15 Dec 25 15:48 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source

I’ve been working on a small language learning app as a solo developer.

I intentionally avoided gamification, streaks, subscriptions, and engagement tricks. The goal was calm learning — fewer distractions, more focus.

I’m starting to wonder if this approach is fundamentally at odds with today’s market.

For those who’ve built or used learning tools: – Does “calm” resonate, or is it too niche? – What trade-offs have you seen when avoiding gamification?

Not here to promote — genuinely looking for perspective.

1. tomek_zemla ◴[15 Dec 25 21:23 UTC] No.46280873[source]▶
I am building a calm, serious English vocabulary learning application for mostly adult, motivated individuals. The opposite experience to Duolingo. No dancing mascots or childish sound effects. I am betting on attracting young professionals, academics, white-collar types that like books, language and the experience of a white page with classic, black typography.

Strangely, through iterative prototyping, the app evolved into something that my testers (and teachers) are calling... a game. I see it as a good thing, and I am adapting this language. The free version is about 'play,' and the paid version is about 'study'.

Reach out if you would like to chat!

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2. jrowen ◴[15 Dec 25 21:55 UTC] No.46281279[source]▶
> I am betting on attracting young professionals, academics, white-collar types that like books, language and the experience of a white page with classic, black typography.

This is cool, and I've auto-didacted a number of things with resources like this, and I know most here have as well.

But, watching the interview with the Duolingo CEO linked in this thread, he's talking about reaching the far larger set of people that don't have strong intrinsic motivation to learn. Which is arguably a much more difficult and more important mission. The natural learners (and kids of white-collar parents) are already pretty well-equipped by the general state of the internet. This is where I'm finding some appreciation for some of the techniques that might be considered low-brow or deleterious by that cohort.

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3. fn-mote ◴[16 Dec 25 02:14 UTC] No.46283913[source]▶
Nobody I know believes Duolingo is in it for anything but the money. To make money, cast the widest net. The people serious about learning don’t use Duolingo because it is so ineffective. Maybe the Duolingo CEO is sincere, I don’t know, but it smells bad to me.
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4. jrowen ◴[16 Dec 25 02:46 UTC] No.46284155{3}[source]▶
That's fair, I understand that it's not the best learning tool but is it doing "good" overall in nudging people toward learning, is it more "educational" than Candy Crush or Tiktok (which he seems to see as competitors)? Genuine question.

As far as CEOs go he did seem sincere to me in a half-business half-believer kind of way. The interviewer asks pointedly about his transition from academia to IPO-land.