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Luis von Ahn

Computer scientist and software founder

A computer scientist whose human-computation projects include CAPTCHA and reCAPTCHA, and a cofounder of Duolingo. His documented reading selections focus on building and managing software companies.

Recommendations sourcedBooks by kept separateBooks about kept separate

Technology Software

0Authored

0About

3Recommended books

Books Luis von Ahn recommends, documented so far

Each book appears once; every source record and quote remains linked to its evidence and the canonical book profile.

Startups Technology Monopoly

Zero to One

by Peter Thiel & Blake Masters · 2014

Author signal

Peter Thiel · Founder-investor

Blake Masters · Co-author

Documented citation: Luis von Ahn recommends Zero to One to entrepreneurs.

Documented citation · Recommended

Evidence details

Luis von Ahn on Learning Languages, Building Companies, and Changing the World (#135)

This source documents the book relationship, but the displayed text is a catalog summary rather than a verbatim quote.

The Tim Ferriss Show · 2016-01-26 · accessed 2026-10-01

interview · Own reading recommendation

Transcript pages15 and38: own positive response and explicit reading recommendation, not merely host selection.

Open source

Amazon Audible Bookshop.orgAffiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you buy through some links. Recommendations are included because of the source, not because of the retailer. Details

Startups Operations Venture Capital

The Hard Thing About Hard Things

by Ben Horowitz · 2014

Author signal

Ben Horowitz · Founder-investor

Documented citation: Luis von Ahn recommends The Hard Thing About Hard Things for entrepreneurs managing a growing company.

Documented citation · Recommended

Evidence details

Luis von Ahn on Learning Languages, Building Companies, and Changing the World (#135)

This source documents the book relationship, but the displayed text is a catalog summary rather than a verbatim quote.

The Tim Ferriss Show · 2016-01-26 · accessed 2026-10-01

interview · Own reading recommendation

Transcript page16: initially less useful, later helpful; his approximate more-than30-people context retained rather than universal advice.

Open source

Amazon Audible Bookshop.orgAffiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you buy through some links. Recommendations are included because of the source, not because of the retailer. Details

Semiconductors Operations Engineering Management

High Output Management

by Andrew Grove · 1983

Author signal

Andrew Grove · Intel engineer-operator

Documented citation: Luis von Ahn recommends High Output Management and reports requiring Duolingo managers to read it.

Documented citation · Recommended

Evidence details

Luis von Ahn interview transcript (#607)

This source documents the book relationship, but the displayed text is a catalog summary rather than a verbatim quote.

The Tim Ferriss Show · 2022-07-18 · accessed 2026-10-01

interview · Own reading recommendation

Own answer explicitly names Andy Grove and required manager reading; host recap of earlier books is not a new recommendation event.

Open source

Amazon Audible Bookshop.orgAffiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you buy through some links. Recommendations are included because of the source, not because of the retailer. Details