TikTok for language learning
When our co-founder and CTO, Erik, told us he wanted to build another language app, we weren’t convinced.
He had already taught himself Spanish, French, and Italian in a year, but we asked:
“Why would we compete with a $15 billion giant?”
“How did Duolingo make hundreds of millions and still get no one fluent?”
We had worked on a few startups together before, so we knew Erik wouldn’t let go of the idea easily. Then Julia joined us. We’d met in a university entrepreneurship class where we built a pharmacy voice assistant. It worked - but none of us cared deeply about it. After a few false starts, we realized we wanted to build something that actually mattered to people - and to us.
The research
Before writing a single line of code, we did the homework.
- We downloaded and used 52 language learning apps. Every single one.
- We interviewed 65 learners across Reddit, Discord, and our own circles.
- We studied Comprehensible Input - the most research-backed method for language learning, developed by Dr. Stephen Krashen at USC: learn through listening and context first, just like a child.
That’s when we saw the gap. The market leader wasn’t helping people go from beginner to fluent. The problem wasn’t motivation - it was that no one had built a mobile-first, science-based product that actually made learning feel natural.
The first test
We built a simple MVP, a video player with captions - and went to a local university. Standing outside a Spanish 101 classroom, we stopped 20 students and showed them Parrot V0. We asked one question: “If this helped you understand Spanish videos effortlessly, would you pay $30 for early access?”
60 percent said yes - on the spot. That was the moment we knew we might be onto something.
Why we’re building Parrot
Parrot makes learning a language as fun and addictive as scrolling TikTok. Every swipe exposes you to real-world Spanish videos you can actually understand - powered by the science of Comprehensible Input.
We started this because learning a language shouldn’t feel like homework. It should feel like discovery. Like travel. Like connecting with someone new.
🦜 Try Parrot → https://www.parrotapp.com
