Zaria Parvez was the creative mastermind behind Duolingo's social media success, having joined the company in 2020 fresh out of University. 5 years later, and after 8 billion impressions, she's left for her next challenge - taking on the social media for Doordash. We speak to Zaria to find out what the secret to the viral success is, and how she plans to replicate this at Doordash.

This episode is brought to you by Semrush — your unfair advantage in digital brand visibility. From fast-growing teams to global enterprises, Semrush shows you where you stand, where you can win, and how to stay visible across AI Search and LLMs. With unrivaled data and real AI intelligence, Semrush helps you move faster, grow faster, and make sure your brand is the answer wherever customers ask.

Timestamps

00:00 - Start
00:34 - Why Zaria left Duolingo
01:32 - Why Zaria moved from Duolingo to Doordash
02:44 - Coping with a rapid career trajectory
04:58 - The big moments for Duolingo
07:00 - Can you plan virality?
08:30 - How important was it having Duo as a brand character
11:02 - Why Duolingo killed duo
13:23 - Sending Duo’s ashes to Dua Lipa
14:05 - What are the conditions that make a successful social media campaign
16:01 - How Zaria spots trends and turns them into content
17:41 - Thinking long term through a social media lens
19:39 - How to scale viral social media efforts
21:36 - Why who your boss is matters so much
22:52 - When things go wrong on social media
24:47 - Why Zaria built a personal brand
28:02 - What Zaria is hoping for in the future
28:59 - How is AI changing social media?
31:36 - Social media advice for podcasters
32:20 - How to cope with the intensity of working in social media
34:58 - The best marketers hate marketing
36:25 - Why you need to embrace boredom

The secret to Duolingo's social success with Zaria Parvez - Semrush Spotlight

Uncensored CMO

The secret to Duolingo's social success with Zaria Parvez - Semrush Spotlight