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.Timestamps00:00 - Start00:34 - Why Zaria left Duolingo01:32 - Why Zaria moved from Duolingo to Doordash02:44 - Coping with a rapid career trajectory04:58 - The big moments for Duolingo07:00 - Can you plan virality?08:30 - How important was it having Duo as a brand character11:02 - Why Duolingo killed duo13:23 - Sending Duo’s ashes to Dua Lipa14:05 - What are the conditions that make a successful social media campaign16:01 - How Zaria spots trends and turns them into content17:41 - Thinking long term through a social media lens19:39 - How to scale viral social media efforts21:36 - Why who your boss is matters so much22:52 - When things go wrong on social media24:47 - Why Zaria built a personal brand28:02 - What Zaria is hoping for in the future28:59 - How is AI changing social media?31:36 - Social media advice for podcasters32:20 - How to cope with the intensity of working in social media34:58 - The best marketers hate marketing36:25 - Why you need to embrace boredom