💬 Episode Description: In this episode of Writers in Tech, we sit down with Marie Van Ogtrop, Director of Product Writing at Duolingo, to talk about building emotionally resonant content, scaling UX writing through AI, and creating consistency across a fast-moving product. Marie shares the story behind Copybot, Duolingo’s internal AI-powered writing tool, and how it allows product teams to write on-brand, delightful copy—without overwhelming the content team.
We also talk about:
Why words are a business tool, not just decoration
How clear writing reflects clear thinking
“Meeting the moment” as a core UX writing principle
The power of internal documentation and style guides
Why AI won't replace writers—but it will expand their reach
Using writing as a prompt design superpower
Childhood stories, abandoned first chapters, and writing aspirations
📍 Timestamps: 00:00 – Opening quote: “We can impact user outcomes on a grander scale” 01:34 – How UX writing differentiates apps in a crowded market 04:09 – Building content consistency across teams 06:28 – Quality review systems for content 07:40 – The “You are correct” story and improving emotional resonance 10:00 – Copy and business metrics: “Words can move numbers” 11:30 – Educating the market about the value of UX writing 13:11 – Prompt design is writing—writers are natural AI communicators 17:18 – How Duolingo built Copybot, an internal AI-powered product writer 20:00 – Balancing AI tools and human creativity in writing 22:59 – Marie’s writing dreams and childhood story ideas 25:06 – What inspires Marie today as a product writer
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