Companies often default to using senior executives as spokespeople, assuming title equals authority. However, audience engagement is driven by delivery and personality, not job title. Prioritize employees who are naturally compelling speakers—even if junior—to create more effective content like webinars and podcasts.

A "team brag session"—where each member publicly praises a colleague—is counterintuitively more beneficial for the giver. While the recipient feels respected, the act of recognizing others elevates the praiser's own morale and strengthens team bonds.

Zaria Parvez started at Duolingo with a "naive mindset," unaware that corporate social posts typically require layers of approval. This unintentional freedom allowed her to think like a creator, not an advertiser, leading to the spontaneous, risky content that defined the brand's voice and sparked its initial viral growth.

The company's head of marketing convinced the CEO to hire young marketers with unconventional resumes that didn't fit the typical 'perfect GPA' mold. This talent created the brand's wildly successful, 'unhinged' TikTok account, which became a major user acquisition channel, proving the value of diverse hiring perspectives.

Duolingo's social media success began not with a big budget, but when their first social hire repurposed an old mascot suit from an HR closet for TikToks. This shows how breakthrough ideas can come from simple, resourceful observations rather than complex, top-down strategies.

Encourage team members, not just founders or marketers, to build their personal brands by publicly sharing their learnings and journey. This creates an organic, multi-pronged distribution engine that attracts customers, top talent, and investors. It's a highly underrated and cost-effective go-to-market strategy.

When Duolingo's Zaria Parvez made a controversial post, her CMO framed the misstep as a necessary learning experience. This cultural attitude towards risk-taking encourages the creative experimentation required for breakthrough social media, turning a potential firing into a valuable lesson on brand boundaries.

Instead of treating high commission payouts as a pure expense, view them as a marketing asset. Actively ensuring it's known that top reps make a lot of money serves as the best possible recruiting tool, attracting other A-players to your company.

Leaders who use public platforms to specifically name and praise behind-the-scenes contributors build a stronger, more motivated team. This public acknowledgment demonstrates that all roles are integral and valued, fostering a culture where people feel seen and are motivated to contribute at a high level.