YouLingo
The predecessor to Alemán Progresivo.
As the name suggests, YouLingo was meant to be a mixture between YouTube and Duolingo—hence the name. In reality, though, the functionality wasn't all that similar to either of them. The core idea was based on comprehensible input, where users would listen to and read carefully crafted texts designed for beginners.
The goal was to replicate the way I was learning languages myself and make that method accessible to everyone through a streamlined, all-in-one platform.
My personal learning method involved either watching videos with subtitles and translating all the unfamiliar words, or reading a text accompanied by audio—like an audiobook—and translating all the new words. I would take my time to understand the full text or video deeply.
Afterward, I would download the audio (or extract it from the video) and listen to it repeatedly until I could intuitively understand everything, without having to translate in my head anymore. This repetitive, meaningful listening was the key to my language learning success.
What I wanted to offer users was essentially that same method—but in a much more streamlined way. Instead of the complex process I had to go through, users could access everything they needed in one place.
Text & Audio Provided
Both the text and audio were provided together, eliminating the need to find and sync content from multiple sources.
Hover Translations
Users could simply hover over a word to get its translation or translate entire sentences instantly.
Accurate Translations
All translations were either created or reviewed by me, ensuring accuracy and context-appropriate meanings.
Easy Audio Download
Users could easily download the audio without needing to open third-party sites or convert videos.
Word-by-Word Translations
Instant access to individual word meanings without leaving the platform or opening external tools.
Sentence-Level Translations
Complete sentence translations to understand context and meaning beyond individual words.
Contextual Explanations
Additional explanations when a simple translation wasn't enough to convey the full meaning.
Repetitive Listening Support
Designed to facilitate the repetitive listening method that was key to effective language acquisition.
The reason it eventually failed, I think, was user retention. It seemed users didn't enjoy the method as much as I did—or maybe the implementation wasn't good enough. There could be many possible reasons, but ultimately, the retention just wasn't where I wanted it to be.
This taught me an important lesson: just because a method works well for me personally doesn't mean it will resonate with a broader audience. User research and validation are crucial before investing heavily in development.
The reason the site is no longer online—I'm not even hosting it on Netlify anymore—is that I accidentally messed things up on GitHub and Firebase. I continued working on the same project without switching branches when I started my next project, Alemán Progresivo.
This was a harsh but valuable lesson in the importance of proper version control practices and project management. The accidental deletion of the GitHub repository and Firebase project meant that all the work was lost, leading to its evolution into Alemán Progresivo.
While YouLingo itself was lost, the lessons learned from both its user retention issues and the technical mishap directly influenced the creation of Alemán Progresivo. The next iteration took a different approach to content delivery and user engagement, though it ultimately faced similar challenges with retention and monetization.
Lessons Learned
YouLingo taught me valuable lessons about user validation, version control, and the importance of not assuming that personal preferences translate to market demand. These insights shaped all my subsequent projects.
See How This Led to Alemán Progresivo