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  • The brief
  • Start here
  • Idea portfolio
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  • This week · 6
  • This quarter · 9
  • Big bets · 3
  • Wildcards · 3
  • How we can help
Generated Oct 23, 2026
  1. Programmable
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  3. Preply
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growth playbook · Oct 23, 2026

preply.com (opens in a new tab)

Preply growth playbook

Diagnosis

Preply is a profitable unicorn ($150M Series D in January 2026) whose hiring maps its next moves: product-led growth and a pricing and discounting strategy built from scratch, paid search with a nine-figure budget expanding into non-language subjects, creative analytics and video for paid media, Digital PR to win Spain and France in Google and AI answers, US city campaigns, and a growing B2B line.

The site has gaps around exactly those bets: no school-exam pages in French or Spanish (96 in English), thin and partly support-only Q&A in French, Spanish city coverage weighted to Mexico, and a homepage that fails Core Web Vitals for real visitors.

This playbook adds bac and EBAU pages, cleans the French Q&A, speeds paid landing pages, sharpens referrals and starts a data-led PR program, then builds exam programs, a market-entry scorecard and an annual report.

Growth Score

8/10

Biggest Opportunity

Give Spain and France the native pages English already has, starting with school exams, so PR, search ads and AI answers have somewhere to send families.

Biggest Risk

italki, Cambly, Lingoda and local tutoring chains compete for the same learners, and heavy dependence on paid search makes growth sensitive to rising click costs and AI-driven search changes.

01

Start here

The three moves to make first. Each one is written up in full below.

  1. 1

    School-exam tutor pages for France and Spain: the bac, the brevet and the EBAU

    List the ten bac and EBAU subjects with the most tutor supply on Preply.

    High impact First result in 6 weeks
  2. 2

    Move support questions out of the French Q&A index and grow native questions instead

    Tag the 88 French questions as learning or support.

    Medium impact First result in 1 month
  3. 3

    Get the paid landing pages under Core Web Vitals by trimming ad pixels

    List every third-party script on the tutors page by owner and purpose.

    High impact First result in 2 months

02

Your idea portfolio

21 ideas, grouped by when to run them. Open any idea for how to run it: the steps, who to approach, copy you can use, and how to measure it.

  • 7 ideas are marked Unexpected: plays you are unlikely to have tried.

Every idea placed by the effort it takes against the impact it could have. Quick wins sit top left; select a number to open that idea. The filters below narrow the list by status, timing, category and what Programmable can build.

Effort vs impactEach number is an idea. Select one to open it.
Impact →
Quick wins · 1Big bets · 11Fill-ins · 4Reconsider · 5
Effort →

Showing 21 of 21 ideas

This week 6

Quick wins with a clear first action.

  • 01

    Preply is hiring a Digital PR manager to win Spain and France in Google and AI answers for language and non-language subjects, and a product manager to grow non-language subjects. In English, Preply has 96 school-exam pages (SAT, ACT, AP, IB). In Spanish and French there is no school-exam list at all: no page for the baccalauréat, the brevet or the EBAU, the exams French and Spanish families pay tutors for. French test-prep pages cover only language exams.

    High impactMedium effort First result in 6 weeks Digital PR Growth Manager

    First action

    List the ten bac and EBAU subjects with the most tutor supply on Preply.

    How to measure it

    Exam-page trial bookings in FR and ES

    Now
    –
    Target
    2,000 a month
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Size supply

      Tutors per exam subject in FR and ES.

      Senior Product Manager - Expansion 3 days

    2. 2

      Pick keywords

      Bac, brevet, EBAU and selectividad by subject.

      SEO Lead 3 days

    3. 3

      Localize the template

      Clone the English school-exam page in French and Spanish.

      Engineering Manager for Martech team 1 week

    4. 4

      Write exam guides

      Format, dates and scoring per exam, by native editors.

      Digital PR Growth Manager (European Markets) 2 weeks

    5. 5

      Add to sitemaps

      Create FR and ES school-exam sitemaps.

      SEO Lead 1 day

    6. 6

      Point traffic

      Link magnets and non-language SEM to the pages.

      SEM Manager 2 weeks

    7. 7

      Track AI answers

      Check whether assistants cite the pages for exam-tutor questions.

      Digital PR Growth Manager (European Markets) monthly

    8. 8

      Measure

      Trials and NSGMV by exam page.

      Senior Data Scientist - Insights monthly

    First result
    6 weeks
    Cost
    Content and translation budget
    Owner
    Digital PR Growth Manager (European Markets)

    Smallest test

    Publish "bac maths" and "EBAU matemáticas" pages and run search ads to them for a month.

    Why it works

    Build exam pages by subject on the English template: "tuteurs bac maths", "bac philo", "brevet français", "profesores EBAU matemáticas", "selectividad química". Show tutors filtered by the exam, a short guide to the exam's format, and a trial-lesson offer. Use them as the landing pages for the Digital PR link magnets and for non-language-subject search ads in both markets.

    Exam tutoring is the most urgent, highest-paying search in non-language subjects. The pages give PR, SEM and AI answers a native destination in the two markets the new hire owns.

    Ready to use

    ChecklistFR and ES exam page launch list

    [ ] /fr/online/tuteurs-bac-maths
    [ ] /fr/online/tuteurs-bac-philosophie
    [ ] /fr/online/tuteurs-brevet
    [ ] /es/online/profesores-ebau-matematicas
    [ ] /es/online/profesores-selectividad-quimica
    [ ] Exam guide on each page by a native editor
    [ ] Pages listed in the FR and ES school-exam sitemaps
    [ ] SEM ad groups pointing to each page

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Too few tutors for an exam

      Launch only where 20 or more tutors match.

    • Exam rules change

      Date each guide and review it every year.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteSitemaps (checked October 22, 2026): the English school-exam tutor list has 96 pages (SAT, ACT, AP, IB subjects such as "tutors-ib-math" and "tutors-ap-calculus-bc"); the Spanish and French sitemap indexes have no school-exam list at all, and no Spanish or French URL mentions the baccalauréat, brevet, EBAU or selectividad. French test-prep pages number 10, all language exams (DELF, DALF, TCF, TEF, TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS).Source
    • HiringDigital PR Growth Manager (European Markets), posted October 19, 2026: makes Preply "recommendable" in "ChatGPT, AI Overviews, and the LLMs people now ask"; owns Digital PR and reputation "across Spain and France" for "Language and Non-language subjects", including "link magnets", ahead of "huge new opportunities around expansion in 2027".Source
    • HiringSenior Product Manager - Expansion (posted September 17, 2026): grow Preply "beyond core language learning starting with non-language subjects (NLS), which already make up a meaningful share of our business", with product investment that "only started this year". The Director of SEM post says SEM is "our largest and highest-impact acquisition channel, with a nine-figure annual spend" and asks to "Expand SEM coverage into non-language subjects".Source
    • Your websiteCity pages in the sitemaps: 17,839 English, 3,177 Spanish and 3,104 French. Spanish city pages lean to Mexico (26 for Guadalajara, 21 for Tijuana, 13 each for Madrid and Barcelona), and every Spanish city URL has a double hyphen, for example "/es/Guadalajara/profesores--matematicas". French city pages cover maths tutors in cities such as Reims and Le Havre.Source
  • 02

    Preply has 6,437 English Q&A pages but only 88 French and 219 Spanish, and the French list includes account questions such as refunds and monthly prices. Those pages answer one user's support issue in public, rank for the wrong searches and look thin to Google and AI systems the Digital PR role is meant to win.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 1 month SEO Lead

    First action

    Tag the 88 French questions as learning or support.

    How to measure it

    FR and ES Q&A visits

    Now
    –
    Target
    3x
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Tag questions

      Learning or support.

      SEO Lead 2 days

    2. 2

      Redirect support

      To matching help articles.

      SEO Lead 2 days

    3. 3

      Seed questions

      200 native questions per language.

      Digital PR Growth Manager (European Markets) 1 month

    4. 4

      Invite tutors

      Answer for profile visibility.

      Engagement Operations Specialist 1 month

    5. 5

      Moderate

      Quality rules.

      SEO Lead weekly

    6. 6

      Measure

      Visits and tutor profile clicks.

      Senior Data Scientist - Insights monthly

    First result
    1 month
    Cost
    Staff time
    Owner
    SEO Lead

    Smallest test

    Redirect ten support questions and seed 50 new ones.

    Why it works

    Redirect support-type questions to the help center, keep language and learning questions, and seed native French and Spanish questions by asking tutors to answer common grammar and expression questions, as the English set does with idioms.

    A clean, native Q&A section builds topical authority in the two markets, and support answers belong where support can keep them current.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Losing a few visits

      Redirect to the closest help article.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteSitemaps: 6,437 English Q&A pages against 219 Spanish and 88 French; the French list includes account and support questions (for example a refund question and "what are the monthly prices"). Learning guides: 403 English, 61 Spanish, 49 French.Source
    • HiringDigital PR Growth Manager (European Markets), posted October 19, 2026: makes Preply "recommendable" in "ChatGPT, AI Overviews, and the LLMs people now ask"; owns Digital PR and reputation "across Spain and France" for "Language and Non-language subjects", including "link magnets", ahead of "huge new opportunities around expansion in 2027".Source
    • HiringSupply side: Senior Manager, Tutor Brand (September 4, 2026) to position Preply "as a long term partner in tutors' careers"; Engagement Operations Specialist (October 19) runs "the annual tutor conference and the team's webinar series", community contests and the Academy LMS migration.Source
  • 03

    Real visitors to preply.com wait 4.0 seconds for the main content (p75) and 329ms for the page to respond to a tap; the English tutors page responds in 349ms. About 25 third-party services load 1,176 KB, mostly ad pixels. With a nine-figure SEM budget, every slow tap on a landing page costs paid clicks.

    High impactMedium effort First result in 2 months Engineering Manager

    First action

    List every third-party script on the tutors page by owner and purpose.

    How to measure it

    Trial conversion per paid click

    Now
    –
    Target
    +5%
    By
    1 quarter

    Steps

    1. 1

      Inventory

      Scripts by owner.

      Engineering Manager for Martech team 1 week

    2. 2

      Remove duplicates

      Overlapping pixels.

      Engineering Manager for Martech team 1 week

    3. 3

      Move server-side

      Main ad pixels.

      Engineering Manager for Martech team 1 month

    4. 4

      Defer the rest

      After interaction.

      Engineering Manager for Martech team 2 weeks

    5. 5

      Test

      Split traffic on landing pages.

      Staff Data Scientist - Paid Marketing Optimization 1 month

    6. 6

      Report

      Conversion and cost per trial.

      Senior Manager, Strategic Finance - B2C Marketing monthly

    First result
    2 months
    Cost
    Engineering time
    Owner
    Engineering Manager for Martech team

    Smallest test

    Defer two heavy pixels on the tutors page and compare INP.

    Why it works

    Move ad and analytics pixels to a server-side container where possible, load the rest after first interaction, remove duplicates, and set a script budget for the top landing templates. Run it as a geo or traffic-split test and report conversion per click.

    Faster, more responsive pages raise conversion per paid click and improve Google Ads landing-page experience.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Attribution gaps

      Validate server-side events before switching off pixels.

    Evidence

    • Google PageSpeedReal-visitor data for preply.com (Chrome UX Report via PageSpeed, October 22, 2026): LCP p75 4.0s and INP 329ms, both "needs improvement"; the English tutors page has INP 349ms. Mobile lab score 35 to 37 with 1.46s total blocking time and 1,176 KB of third-party code from about 25 services (Facebook 267 KB, TikTok 158 KB, HubSpot 113 KB, plus Hotjar, Snapchat, Reddit, Bing, LinkedIn).Source
    • HiringSenior Product Manager - Expansion (posted September 17, 2026): grow Preply "beyond core language learning starting with non-language subjects (NLS), which already make up a meaningful share of our business", with product investment that "only started this year". The Director of SEM post says SEM is "our largest and highest-impact acquisition channel, with a nine-figure annual spend" and asks to "Expand SEM coverage into non-language subjects".Source
    • HiringPaid growth hires: SEM Manager (October 15, 2026; Google and Microsoft Ads, "ad copy and landing page testing", "geo-based incrementality", "LTV per new student"); Staff Data Scientist - Paid Marketing Optimization (October 14; designs a "Creative Analytics framework"); Video Editor (Growth/Paid Media) (October 16; edits spots "into engaging, channel-specific cuts").Source
  • 04

    Preply's PLG lead owns referrals and incentives. Today a referred friend gets 70% off a trial lesson, but the referrer is paid only after the friend's first subscription lesson, in an amount that "varies" by currency. A reward people cannot name is rarely shared.

    High impactLow effort First result in 1 month Senior Manager

    First action

    Pull share and conversion rates for the current referral flow.

    How to measure it

    Referral-sourced subscribers

    Now
    –
    Target
    +30%
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Baseline

      Shares, trials, subscriptions.

      Senior Manager, Growth Strategy & Operations (PLG & Pricing) 1 week

    2. 2

      Set rewards

      Fixed amounts per currency.

      Senior Manager, Growth Strategy & Operations (PLG & Pricing) 1 week

    3. 3

      Split payment

      Trial and subscription stages.

      Senior Product Manager - Growth 2 weeks

    4. 4

      Add prompts

      At progress moments.

      Senior Product Manager - Growth 2 weeks

    5. 5

      Test

      Against current flow.

      PLG analyst 1 month

    6. 6

      Review economics

      LTV to CAC of referred users.

      Senior Manager, Strategic Finance - B2C Marketing monthly

    First result
    1 month
    Cost
    Referral credits
    Owner
    Senior Manager, Growth Strategy & Operations (PLG & Pricing)

    Smallest test

    Show a fixed reward in one market and compare shares.

    Why it works

    Show a fixed local-currency reward on the referral screen, pay a small part when the friend books a trial and the rest after the first subscription lesson, and prompt referral after moments of progress (a fifth lesson, an AI lesson summary with a milestone).

    A named, fast reward raises sharing; paying the larger part on subscription protects margin.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Abuse

      Pay the larger part only after a paid lesson.

    Evidence

    • Help centerStudent referral program: a referred friend gets 70% off the first trial lesson with a tutor charging $7 an hour or more; the referrer's credit arrives only after the friend completes their first subscription lesson, and its amount "varies" with local currency. Tutors have a separate referral program for inviting their own students.Source
    • HiringSenior Manager, Growth Strategy & Operations (PLG & Pricing), Barcelona, posted September 22, 2026: owns "Product Led Growth NSGMV", "LTV to CAC efficiency" and opportunities "across referrals, advocacy, sharing, incentives"; builds Preply's Pricing and Discounting strategy "including our approach to tutor pricing, learner-facing prices, promotions, discounts, credits and incentives", which is being built "from the ground up".Source
    • News coverageJanuary 21, 2026: a $150 million Series D led by WestCap at a $1.2 billion valuation; Preply said it had been EBITDA positive over the previous twelve months. June 2026: AI-generated lesson summaries with personalized feedback and exercises; "over 70% of tutors" use AI Lesson Insights (OpenAI case study).Source
  • 05

    Spanish city pages lean to Mexico (26 for Guadalajara, 13 for Madrid), and every Spanish city URL has a double hyphen ("profesores--matematicas"). The Digital PR hire owns Spain, where families look for local maths, physics and chemistry tutors even for online lessons.

    Medium impactMedium effort First result in 1 month SEO Lead

    First action

    List Spanish cities with tutor supply but no subject page.

    How to measure it

    Spain city-page trials

    Now
    –
    Target
    +40%
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Gap list

      City and subject pairs with supply.

      SEO Lead 1 week

    2. 2

      Generate pages

      Top 30 cities.

      Engineering Manager for Martech team 2 weeks

    3. 3

      Plan redirects

      Old to new slug map.

      SEO Lead 1 week

    4. 4

      Ship redirects

      With sitemaps and links.

      Engineering Manager for Martech team 1 week

    5. 5

      Monitor

      Search Console coverage.

      SEO Lead weekly

    6. 6

      Measure

      Trials by city.

      Senior Data Scientist - Insights monthly

    First result
    1 month
    Cost
    Engineering time
    Owner
    SEO Lead

    Smallest test

    Launch maths pages for five Spanish cities.

    Why it works

    Add maths, physics, chemistry and English pages for the 30 largest Spanish cities, and plan a one-to-one redirect from the double-hyphen pattern to single hyphens with updated sitemaps and internal links.

    More complete coverage of Spain gives PR and local search a landing page in every big city, and a clean pattern avoids duplicate URLs as the section grows.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Ranking dip after redirects

      Move in batches and watch each one.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteCity pages in the sitemaps: 17,839 English, 3,177 Spanish and 3,104 French. Spanish city pages lean to Mexico (26 for Guadalajara, 21 for Tijuana, 13 each for Madrid and Barcelona), and every Spanish city URL has a double hyphen, for example "/es/Guadalajara/profesores--matematicas". French city pages cover maths tutors in cities such as Reims and Le Havre.Source
    • HiringDigital PR Growth Manager (European Markets), posted October 19, 2026: makes Preply "recommendable" in "ChatGPT, AI Overviews, and the LLMs people now ask"; owns Digital PR and reputation "across Spain and France" for "Language and Non-language subjects", including "link magnets", ahead of "huge new opportunities around expansion in 2027".Source
    • HiringSenior Product Manager - Expansion (posted September 17, 2026): grow Preply "beyond core language learning starting with non-language subjects (NLS), which already make up a meaningful share of our business", with product investment that "only started this year". The Director of SEM post says SEM is "our largest and highest-impact acquisition channel, with a nine-figure annual spend" and asks to "Expand SEM coverage into non-language subjects".Source
  • 06

    The Digital PR role is asked to build "link magnets" for Spain and France. Preply sees what 100,000+ tutors teach and what learners in each city study, which no survey can match.

    High impactMedium effort First result in 6 weeks Digital PR Growth Manager

    First action

    Pull lessons by region and subject for the last 12 months.

    How to measure it

    New FR and ES referring domains

    Now
    –
    Target
    150
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Pull data

      Lessons by region and subject.

      Senior Data Scientist - Insights 1 week

    2. 2

      Find stories

      Five headline findings.

      Digital PR Growth Manager (European Markets) 1 week

    3. 3

      Design

      City table and charts.

      Brand designer 1 week

    4. 4

      Publish

      Native pages in FR and ES.

      SEO Lead 3 days

    5. 5

      Pitch

      Regional and national press.

      Digital PR Growth Manager (European Markets) 2 weeks

    6. 6

      Measure

      Links, citations and trials.

      Digital PR Growth Manager (European Markets) monthly

    First result
    6 weeks
    Cost
    Agency time
    Owner
    Digital PR Growth Manager (European Markets)

    Smallest test

    Publish one regional finding in Spain.

    Why it works

    Publish "What Spain learns" and "Ce que la France apprend": most-booked languages and subjects by region, average price per lesson, fastest-growing subjects, with a city table journalists can cut. Pitch regional press and link each finding to the matching tutor pages.

    Original, local data earns links and citations in AI answers, and each city cut sends readers to a city page.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Privacy

      Aggregate only, no tutor or learner data.

    Evidence

    • HiringDigital PR Growth Manager (European Markets), posted October 19, 2026: makes Preply "recommendable" in "ChatGPT, AI Overviews, and the LLMs people now ask"; owns Digital PR and reputation "across Spain and France" for "Language and Non-language subjects", including "link magnets", ahead of "huge new opportunities around expansion in 2027".Source
    • HiringPreply's line in every post: "We've just reached unicorn status with a $150M Series D"; "100,000+ tutors teach 90+ languages to learners in 180 countries".Source
    • Your websiteCity pages in the sitemaps: 17,839 English, 3,177 Spanish and 3,104 French. Spanish city pages lean to Mexico (26 for Guadalajara, 21 for Tijuana, 13 each for Madrid and Barcelona), and every Spanish city URL has a double hyphen, for example "/es/Guadalajara/profesores--matematicas". French city pages cover maths tutors in cities such as Reims and Le Havre.Source

This quarter 9

The core plays for the next three months.

  • 07

    The PLG & Pricing role is building discounting "from the ground up", covering promotions, credits and incentives. Preply promo codes also circulate on coupon sites and in newspaper offers, where they may go to learners who would have paid anyway.

    High impactMedium effort First result in 2 months Senior Manager

    First action

    List every active discount, credit and code with its last 90 days of use.

    How to measure it

    Discount cost per incremental subscriber

    Now
    –
    Target
    -20%
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Inventory

      All offers and codes.

      Senior Manager, Growth Strategy & Operations (PLG & Pricing) 2 weeks

    2. 2

      Holdouts

      Per channel.

      PLG analyst 1 month

    3. 3

      Find leakage

      Codes used outside their audience.

      Senior Manager, Growth Strategy & Operations (PLG & Pricing) 2 weeks

    4. 4

      Set rules

      Eligibility and limits.

      Senior Manager, Growth Strategy & Operations (PLG & Pricing) 2 weeks

    5. 5

      Lock codes

      Single-use or audience-bound.

      Senior Product Manager - Growth 2 weeks

    6. 6

      Report

      Incremental margin.

      Senior Manager, Strategic Finance - B2C Marketing monthly

    First result
    2 months
    Cost
    Analyst time
    Owner
    Senior Manager, Growth Strategy & Operations (PLG & Pricing)

    Smallest test

    Run a holdout on one public code for a month.

    Why it works

    Inventory every discount and credit, run holdout tests by channel, and set rules: which offers are allowed, for whom and at what LTV to CAC. Move codes found on coupon sites to single-use or audience-locked versions.

    Cutting discounts that do not change behaviour raises margin without hurting growth.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Partners rely on codes

      Give partners tracked, capped codes.

    Evidence

    • HiringSenior Manager, Growth Strategy & Operations (PLG & Pricing), Barcelona, posted September 22, 2026: owns "Product Led Growth NSGMV", "LTV to CAC efficiency" and opportunities "across referrals, advocacy, sharing, incentives"; builds Preply's Pricing and Discounting strategy "including our approach to tutor pricing, learner-facing prices, promotions, discounts, credits and incentives", which is being built "from the ground up".Source
    • HiringSenior Manager, Strategic Finance - B2C Marketing (September 30, 2026): "Marketing is Preply's primary financial lever"; evaluates the "response curve, geo-lift test results, and media mix modeling", quantifies "the paid-to-organic relationship", and sizes "Geo expansion". Senior US Brand Campaigns Manager (New York, September 18): builds "market- and city-level plans".Source
    • Help centerStudent referral program: a referred friend gets 70% off the first trial lesson with a tutor charging $7 an hour or more; the referrer's credit arrives only after the friend completes their first subscription lesson, and its amount "varies" with local currency. Tutors have a separate referral program for inviting their own students.Source
  • 08

    The SEM post asks to expand coverage into non-language subjects, and NLS already make up a meaningful share of the business. Searches like "AP chemistry tutor online" expect a page about that exam, and Preply has those pages in English.

    High impactMedium effort First result in 1 month Director of SEM

    First action

    Map the top 200 NLS keywords to existing pages.

    How to measure it

    NLS paid trials

    Now
    –
    Target
    +50%
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Keyword map

      Subjects and exams.

      SEM Manager 1 week

    2. 2

      Page map

      One page per ad group.

      SEM Manager 1 week

    3. 3

      LTV bids

      Per subject.

      Staff Data Scientist - Paid Marketing Optimization 1 month

    4. 4

      Launch

      US first.

      SEM Manager 2 weeks

    5. 5

      Test copy

      Tutor counts and prices.

      SEM Manager 1 month

    6. 6

      Expand

      FR and ES with idea 1 pages.

      Director of SEM 1 quarter

    First result
    1 month
    Cost
    Ad budget
    Owner
    Director of SEM

    Smallest test

    Run ten AP subject ad groups for a month.

    Why it works

    Build ad groups per subject and exam, map each to its school-exam or subject page, test tutor-count and price headlines, and set LTV-based bids per subject from the data science team.

    Matching pages raise Quality Score and conversion, and NLS keywords are less crowded than language queries.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Lower LTV in NLS

      Bid on predicted LTV, not average.

    Evidence

    • HiringSenior Product Manager - Expansion (posted September 17, 2026): grow Preply "beyond core language learning starting with non-language subjects (NLS), which already make up a meaningful share of our business", with product investment that "only started this year". The Director of SEM post says SEM is "our largest and highest-impact acquisition channel, with a nine-figure annual spend" and asks to "Expand SEM coverage into non-language subjects".Source
    • Your websiteSitemaps (checked October 22, 2026): the English school-exam tutor list has 96 pages (SAT, ACT, AP, IB subjects such as "tutors-ib-math" and "tutors-ap-calculus-bc"); the Spanish and French sitemap indexes have no school-exam list at all, and no Spanish or French URL mentions the baccalauréat, brevet, EBAU or selectividad. French test-prep pages number 10, all language exams (DELF, DALF, TCF, TEF, TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS).Source
    • HiringPaid growth hires: SEM Manager (October 15, 2026; Google and Microsoft Ads, "ad copy and landing page testing", "geo-based incrementality", "LTV per new student"); Staff Data Scientist - Paid Marketing Optimization (October 14; designs a "Creative Analytics framework"); Video Editor (Growth/Paid Media) (October 16; edits spots "into engaging, channel-specific cuts").Source
  • 09

    Preply is hiring a Video Editor for paid media and a data scientist to build a creative analytics framework. Tutors already record intro videos for their profiles, a library of real faces, accents and subjects that no studio shoot matches.

    High impactMedium effort First result in 1 month Staff Data Scientist Paid Mar…

    First action

    Ask 50 top tutors to opt in to ad use of their videos.

    How to measure it

    Cost per trial on tutor-video ads

    Now
    –
    Target
    -15%
    By
    1 quarter

    Steps

    1. 1

      Consent

      Opt-in and fee.

      Senior Manager, Tutor Brand 2 weeks

    2. 2

      Select

      Best intros by market.

      Video Editor (Growth/Paid Media) 2 weeks

    3. 3

      Cut

      Channel versions.

      Video Editor (Growth/Paid Media) 1 month

    4. 4

      Tag

      Creative features.

      Staff Data Scientist - Paid Marketing Optimization 2 weeks

    5. 5

      Test

      Against studio ads.

      SEM Manager 1 month

    6. 6

      Scale

      Winners by market.

      Staff Data Scientist - Paid Marketing Optimization ongoing

    First result
    1 month
    Cost
    Tutor fees and editing time
    Owner
    Staff Data Scientist Paid Marketing Optimization

    Smallest test

    Run five tutor-video ads in one market.

    Why it works

    With tutor consent and a fee, cut the best intro videos into channel-specific ads by language and subject, tag each by features (language, setting, opening line), and let the creative model find what works by market.

    Real tutors make the marketplace promise concrete, and a large, tagged library feeds the creative model with variety.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Tutors feel used

      Pay fairly and credit them by name.

    Evidence

    • HiringPaid growth hires: SEM Manager (October 15, 2026; Google and Microsoft Ads, "ad copy and landing page testing", "geo-based incrementality", "LTV per new student"); Staff Data Scientist - Paid Marketing Optimization (October 14; designs a "Creative Analytics framework"); Video Editor (Growth/Paid Media) (October 16; edits spots "into engaging, channel-specific cuts").Source
    • HiringPreply's line in every post: "We've just reached unicorn status with a $150M Series D"; "100,000+ tutors teach 90+ languages to learners in 180 countries".Source
    • HiringSupply side: Senior Manager, Tutor Brand (September 4, 2026) to position Preply "as a long term partner in tutors' careers"; Engagement Operations Specialist (October 19) runs "the annual tutor conference and the team's webinar series", community contests and the Academy LMS migration.Source
  • 10

    The US Brand Campaigns Manager will build "market- and city-level plans", and Strategic Finance evaluates geo-lift. Preply has 17,839 English city-subject pages.

    Medium impactMedium effort First result in 2 months Senior US Brand Campaigns Man…

    First action

    Choose three test and three control cities.

    How to measure it

    Geo-lift on trials

    Now
    –
    Target
    +10% vs control
    By
    1 quarter

    Steps

    1. 1

      Pick cities

      Test and control.

      Senior Manager, Strategic Finance - B2C Marketing 1 week

    2. 2

      Plan media

      Local channels.

      Senior US Brand Campaigns Manager 2 weeks

    3. 3

      Tune pages

      City-specific hero.

      SEO Lead 1 week

    4. 4

      Run

      Six weeks.

      Senior US Brand Campaigns Manager 6 weeks

    5. 5

      Read lift

      Trials and branded search.

      Senior Manager, Strategic Finance - B2C Marketing 2 weeks

    6. 6

      Scale

      To winning city types.

      Senior US Brand Campaigns Manager quarterly

    First result
    2 months
    Cost
    Media budget
    Owner
    Senior US Brand Campaigns Manager

    Smallest test

    Run one city test.

    Why it works

    Pick test and control cities, run local campaigns (transit, podcasts, local creators) that point to each city's tutor page, and read lift in trials and branded search.

    Local relevance and a matching page make brand spend measurable.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Noisy results

      Use matched cities and long enough flights.

    Evidence

    • HiringSenior Manager, Strategic Finance - B2C Marketing (September 30, 2026): "Marketing is Preply's primary financial lever"; evaluates the "response curve, geo-lift test results, and media mix modeling", quantifies "the paid-to-organic relationship", and sizes "Geo expansion". Senior US Brand Campaigns Manager (New York, September 18): builds "market- and city-level plans".Source
    • Your websiteCity pages in the sitemaps: 17,839 English, 3,177 Spanish and 3,104 French. Spanish city pages lean to Mexico (26 for Guadalajara, 21 for Tijuana, 13 each for Madrid and Barcelona), and every Spanish city URL has a double hyphen, for example "/es/Guadalajara/profesores--matematicas". French city pages cover maths tutors in cities such as Reims and Le Havre.Source
  • 11

    Preply has about 22,500 Trustpilot reviews and a strong score, but the low reviews return to subscriptions, billing and support. Reputation is now part of how AI assistants describe a brand, which the Digital PR role is measured on.

    High impactMedium effort First result in 1 quarter Customer Care Team Lead

    First action

    Tag last month's billing tickets by cause.

    How to measure it

    Billing contacts

    Now
    –
    Target
    -25%
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Tag tickets

      By cause.

      Customer Care Team Lead 2 weeks

    2. 2

      Add reminders

      Before renewal.

      Senior Product Manager - Growth 2 weeks

    3. 3

      One-tap pause

      In the app.

      Senior Product Manager - Growth 1 month

    4. 4

      Show balance

      Unused lessons.

      Senior Product Manager - Growth 2 weeks

    5. 5

      Review monthly

      Top causes.

      Customer Care Team Lead monthly

    6. 6

      Track reviews

      Score and themes.

      Digital PR Growth Manager (European Markets) monthly

    First result
    1 quarter
    Cost
    Engineering time
    Owner
    Customer Care Team Lead

    Smallest test

    Send renewal reminders in one market.

    Why it works

    Send a reminder before each renewal with the amount, make pause and plan changes one tap, show unused lesson balance prominently, and tag complaints by cause so product fixes the top three.

    Clear billing cuts refunds, chargebacks and angry reviews, and keeps learners who wanted a break rather than an exit.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Fewer renewals

      Pauses keep more learners than cancellations.

    Evidence

    • Review sitesTrustpilot lists about 22,500 reviews for preply.com with a TrustScore around 4.5; the recurring complaints in low reviews concern subscriptions, billing and support.Source
    • HiringDigital PR Growth Manager (European Markets), posted October 19, 2026: makes Preply "recommendable" in "ChatGPT, AI Overviews, and the LLMs people now ask"; owns Digital PR and reputation "across Spain and France" for "Language and Non-language subjects", including "link magnets", ahead of "huge new opportunities around expansion in 2027".Source
    • HiringSenior Manager, Growth Strategy & Operations (PLG & Pricing), Barcelona, posted September 22, 2026: owns "Product Led Growth NSGMV", "LTV to CAC efficiency" and opportunities "across referrals, advocacy, sharing, incentives"; builds Preply's Pricing and Discounting strategy "including our approach to tutor pricing, learner-facing prices, promotions, discounts, credits and incentives", which is being built "from the ground up".Source
  • 12

    Preply launched AI lesson summaries with feedback and exercises, and over 70% of tutors use Lesson Insights. The PLG role looks for "sharing" and "advocacy" mechanics. Learners are proud of progress but have nothing to share.

    High impactMedium effort First result in 1 quarter Senior Product Manager Growth

    First action

    Design the card from existing summary data.

    How to measure it

    Referred trials from progress cards

    Now
    –
    Target
    5,000 a month
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Design

      Card layout.

      Staff Product Designer 2 weeks

    2. 2

      Build

      From summary data.

      Senior Product Manager - Growth 1 month

    3. 3

      Add referral

      Link and offer.

      Senior Manager, Growth Strategy & Operations (PLG & Pricing) 1 week

    4. 4

      Prompt

      At month end.

      Senior Product Manager - Growth 1 week

    5. 5

      Test

      Share rate.

      PLG analyst 1 month

    6. 6

      Scale

      All markets.

      Senior Product Manager - Growth 1 quarter

    First result
    1 quarter
    Cost
    Engineering time
    Owner
    Senior Product Manager Growth

    Smallest test

    Send cards to 10,000 learners.

    Why it works

    Generate a monthly progress card (lessons, new words, level moved, tutor comment) that learners can share, with a referral link and the friend's trial offer built in.

    Progress is the most credible ad for tutoring, and each share carries a referral.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Privacy

      Learner chooses what to show.

    Evidence

    • News coverageJanuary 21, 2026: a $150 million Series D led by WestCap at a $1.2 billion valuation; Preply said it had been EBITDA positive over the previous twelve months. June 2026: AI-generated lesson summaries with personalized feedback and exercises; "over 70% of tutors" use AI Lesson Insights (OpenAI case study).Source
    • HiringSenior Manager, Growth Strategy & Operations (PLG & Pricing), Barcelona, posted September 22, 2026: owns "Product Led Growth NSGMV", "LTV to CAC efficiency" and opportunities "across referrals, advocacy, sharing, incentives"; builds Preply's Pricing and Discounting strategy "including our approach to tutor pricing, learner-facing prices, promotions, discounts, credits and incentives", which is being built "from the ground up".Source
    • Help centerStudent referral program: a referred friend gets 70% off the first trial lesson with a tutor charging $7 an hour or more; the referrer's credit arrives only after the friend completes their first subscription lesson, and its amount "varies" with local currency. Tutors have a separate referral program for inviting their own students.Source
  • 13

    The Tutor Brand role is to make Preply "a long term partner in tutors' careers", and tutors already have a referral program for inviting students. Many tutors have social followings and past students off the platform.

    Medium impactMedium effort First result in 1 quarter Senior Manager

    First action

    Count students who joined through tutor referral last quarter.

    How to measure it

    Tutor-referred students

    Now
    –
    Target
    +50%
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Baseline

      Current tutor referrals.

      Senior Manager, Tutor Brand 1 week

    2. 2

      Build kit

      Links and templates.

      Senior Manager, Tutor Brand 1 month

    3. 3

      Dashboard

      Students brought.

      Senior Product Manager - Growth 1 month

    4. 4

      Launch

      Webinar for tutors.

      Engagement Operations Specialist 2 weeks

    5. 5

      Recognize

      Conference awards.

      Engagement Operations Specialist yearly

    6. 6

      Measure

      Retention of tutor-sourced students.

      PLG analyst monthly

    First result
    1 quarter
    Cost
    Staff time
    Owner
    Senior Manager, Tutor Brand

    Smallest test

    Pilot the kit with 200 tutors.

    Why it works

    Give tutors a branded profile link, social templates in their language, and a dashboard of students they brought. Feature top tutor-marketers at the tutor conference.

    Tutor-sourced students cost less and stay longer with the tutor who brought them.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Off-platform deals

      Keep tutor rewards tied to on-platform lessons.

    Evidence

    • HiringSupply side: Senior Manager, Tutor Brand (September 4, 2026) to position Preply "as a long term partner in tutors' careers"; Engagement Operations Specialist (October 19) runs "the annual tutor conference and the team's webinar series", community contests and the Academy LMS migration.Source
    • Help centerStudent referral program: a referred friend gets 70% off the first trial lesson with a tutor charging $7 an hour or more; the referrer's credit arrives only after the friend completes their first subscription lesson, and its amount "varies" with local currency. Tutors have a separate referral program for inviting their own students.Source
  • 14

    Preply's B2B segment is "a growing vertical" with a new analyst for renewals. Many consumer learners study business English for work, and their employers have training budgets but have never heard of Preply Business.

    Medium impactMedium effort First result in 1 quarter Senior Data Analyst B2B

    First action

    Count active learners in business-English plans.

    How to measure it

    Employer leads

    Now
    –
    Target
    300 a quarter
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Find learners

      Business-topic plans.

      Senior Data Analyst - B2B 1 week

    2. 2

      Write the email

      Cost and outcomes.

      B2B marketing 1 week

    3. 3

      Build the flow

      In the app.

      Senior Product Manager - Growth 1 month

    4. 4

      Invoice option

      For expenses.

      Finance 2 weeks

    5. 5

      Route leads

      To B2B sales.

      Head of Revenue Operations & Systems 1 week

    6. 6

      Measure

      Leads and contracts.

      Senior Data Analyst - B2B monthly

    First result
    1 quarter
    Cost
    Engineering time
    Owner
    Senior Data Analyst B2B

    Smallest test

    Email 1,000 business learners the ask.

    Why it works

    Add an "ask my employer" flow for learners studying business topics: a ready email with cost and outcomes, an invoice option, and a lead to the B2B team when an employer replies.

    Turns consumer demand into B2B leads at almost no acquisition cost.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Cannibalizing consumer revenue

      Measure net revenue per learner.

    Evidence

    • HiringEngineering Manager for Martech (October 8, 2026): tools "to automate campaigns, create content at scale, and measure what works across paid marketing, SEO, and AI Search". Senior Data Analyst - B2B (September 8): retention and renewals for "a growing vertical", with "a renewal-risk view the Account Management team acts on".Source
    • HiringPreply's line in every post: "We've just reached unicorn status with a $150M Series D"; "100,000+ tutors teach 90+ languages to learners in 180 countries".Source
  • 15

    The Digital PR role is measured on visibility in ChatGPT and AI Overviews, and Martech builds tools to measure AI Search. Without a fixed panel, LLM visibility is anecdotal.

    Medium impactMedium effort First result in 1 quarter Engineering Manager

    First action

    Write the first 50 questions for France.

    How to measure it

    AI citation share in FR and ES

    Now
    –
    Target
    +15 points
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Write panel

      Per market.

      Digital PR Growth Manager (European Markets) 2 weeks

    2. 2

      Build runner

      Weekly queries.

      Engineering Manager for Martech team 1 month

    3. 3

      Score

      Mentions and position.

      Engineering Manager for Martech team 2 weeks

    4. 4

      Dashboard

      By market.

      Engineering Manager for Martech team 2 weeks

    5. 5

      Link to work

      PR and content dates.

      Digital PR Growth Manager (European Markets) monthly

    6. 6

      Review

      Monthly.

      Digital PR Growth Manager (European Markets) monthly

    First result
    1 quarter
    Cost
    Engineering time
    Owner
    Engineering Manager for Martech team

    Smallest test

    Run 50 questions by hand this week.

    Why it works

    Define 200 questions per market ("best online maths tutor France", "how to prepare for DELF B2"), run them weekly across assistants, record whether and how Preply is cited, and tie changes to PR and content releases.

    Makes AI visibility a metric teams can move and report.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Assistant answers vary

      Run each question several times.

    Evidence

    • HiringDigital PR Growth Manager (European Markets), posted October 19, 2026: makes Preply "recommendable" in "ChatGPT, AI Overviews, and the LLMs people now ask"; owns Digital PR and reputation "across Spain and France" for "Language and Non-language subjects", including "link magnets", ahead of "huge new opportunities around expansion in 2027".Source
    • HiringEngineering Manager for Martech (October 8, 2026): tools "to automate campaigns, create content at scale, and measure what works across paid marketing, SEO, and AI Search". Senior Data Analyst - B2B (September 8): retention and renewals for "a growing vertical", with "a renewal-risk view the Account Management team acts on".Source

Big bets 3

Larger plays that can change the trajectory.

  • 16

    Non-language subjects are a meaningful share of the business with new investment, and Preply already pairs tutors with AI lesson summaries and exercises. Exam prep is where families pay most and want structure.

    High impactHigh effort First result in 3 quarters Senior Product Manager Expans…

    First action

    Pilot one SAT maths program with 20 tutors.

    How to measure it

    LTV of program learners vs single-lesson

    Now
    –
    Target
    +40%
    By
    3 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Pick exams

      Highest demand.

      Senior Product Manager - Expansion 2 weeks

    2. 2

      Design program

      Diagnostic to report.

      Senior Product Manager - Expansion 1 month

    3. 3

      Recruit tutors

      Exam specialists.

      Senior Manager, Tutor Brand 1 month

    4. 4

      Build AI practice

      Between lessons.

      Senior Applied AI Scientist (AI Learning) 1 quarter

    5. 5

      Price

      Program pricing.

      Senior Manager, Growth Strategy & Operations (PLG & Pricing) 2 weeks

    6. 6

      Launch and measure

      LTV and results.

      Senior Product Manager - Expansion 1 quarter

    First result
    3 quarters
    Cost
    Product investment
    Owner
    Senior Product Manager Expansion

    Smallest test

    Run one program by hand with 20 families.

    Why it works

    Package exam programs (SAT maths, IB biology, bac maths, EBAU chemistry): a diagnostic, a set number of lessons, AI practice between lessons and a progress report to parents. Price as a program, not per lesson.

    Programs raise LTV, make results visible and differentiate from per-lesson marketplaces.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Outcome claims

      Report progress, never promise scores.

    Evidence

    • HiringSenior Product Manager - Expansion (posted September 17, 2026): grow Preply "beyond core language learning starting with non-language subjects (NLS), which already make up a meaningful share of our business", with product investment that "only started this year". The Director of SEM post says SEM is "our largest and highest-impact acquisition channel, with a nine-figure annual spend" and asks to "Expand SEM coverage into non-language subjects".Source
    • News coverageJanuary 21, 2026: a $150 million Series D led by WestCap at a $1.2 billion valuation; Preply said it had been EBITDA positive over the previous twelve months. June 2026: AI-generated lesson summaries with personalized feedback and exercises; "over 70% of tutors" use AI Lesson Insights (OpenAI case study).Source
    • Your websiteSitemaps (checked October 22, 2026): the English school-exam tutor list has 96 pages (SAT, ACT, AP, IB subjects such as "tutors-ib-math" and "tutors-ap-calculus-bc"); the Spanish and French sitemap indexes have no school-exam list at all, and no Spanish or French URL mentions the baccalauréat, brevet, EBAU or selectividad. French test-prep pages number 10, all language exams (DELF, DALF, TCF, TEF, TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS).Source
    • HiringSenior Manager, Growth Strategy & Operations (PLG & Pricing), Barcelona, posted September 22, 2026: owns "Product Led Growth NSGMV", "LTV to CAC efficiency" and opportunities "across referrals, advocacy, sharing, incentives"; builds Preply's Pricing and Discounting strategy "including our approach to tutor pricing, learner-facing prices, promotions, discounts, credits and incentives", which is being built "from the ground up".Source
  • 17

    Strategic Finance is sizing geo expansion and the Digital PR post mentions expansion in 2027. Preply already has sitemaps in 21 locales, but coverage differs a lot: French has 88 Q&A pages and no school-exam pages.

    High impactHigh effort First result in 3 quarters Senior Manager

    First action

    Build the scorecard for five candidate markets.

    How to measure it

    Payback period in entry market

    Now
    –
    Target
    under 12 months
    By
    3 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Define scores

      Five factors.

      Senior Manager, Strategic Finance - B2C Marketing 2 weeks

    2. 2

      Collect data

      Per market.

      Senior Manager, Strategic Finance - B2C Marketing 1 month

    3. 3

      Pick market

      Top score.

      Senior Strategy & Operations Manager 2 weeks

    4. 4

      Build stack

      Pages, PR, SEM.

      Senior Product Manager - Expansion 1 quarter

    5. 5

      Launch

      Staged.

      Director of SEM 1 month

    6. 6

      Review

      Monthly payback.

      Senior Manager, Strategic Finance - B2C Marketing monthly

    First result
    3 quarters
    Cost
    Market budget
    Owner
    Senior Manager, Strategic Finance B2C Marketing

    Smallest test

    Score two markets this month.

    Why it works

    Score each candidate market on tutor supply, search demand, SEM cost, local content depth and payment readiness, then enter the top one with the full stack: exam pages, PR, SEM and local reviews.

    Concentrated entry beats thin presence everywhere.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Wrong market

      Stage gates with kill criteria.

    Evidence

    • HiringSenior Manager, Strategic Finance - B2C Marketing (September 30, 2026): "Marketing is Preply's primary financial lever"; evaluates the "response curve, geo-lift test results, and media mix modeling", quantifies "the paid-to-organic relationship", and sizes "Geo expansion". Senior US Brand Campaigns Manager (New York, September 18): builds "market- and city-level plans".Source
    • HiringDigital PR Growth Manager (European Markets), posted October 19, 2026: makes Preply "recommendable" in "ChatGPT, AI Overviews, and the LLMs people now ask"; owns Digital PR and reputation "across Spain and France" for "Language and Non-language subjects", including "link magnets", ahead of "huge new opportunities around expansion in 2027".Source
    • Your websiteSitemaps: 6,437 English Q&A pages against 219 Spanish and 88 French; the French list includes account and support questions (for example a refund question and "what are the monthly prices"). Learning guides: 403 English, 61 Spanish, 49 French.Source
  • 18

    Preply teaches 90+ languages in 180 countries, and the Digital PR team builds authority through data campaigns. An annual report gives every market a local story at once.

    High impactHigh effort First result in 2 quarters Digital PR Growth Manager

    First action

    Pick ten headline metrics.

    How to measure it

    Referring domains from the report

    Now
    –
    Target
    500
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Pick metrics

      Ten headlines.

      Digital PR Growth Manager (European Markets) 2 weeks

    2. 2

      Pull data

      Aggregates.

      Senior Data Scientist - Insights 1 month

    3. 3

      Write

      Global and local.

      Digital PR Growth Manager (European Markets) 1 month

    4. 4

      Design

      Charts.

      Brand designer 2 weeks

    5. 5

      Pitch

      All markets.

      Digital PR Growth Manager (European Markets) 1 month

    6. 6

      Measure

      Links and citations.

      Digital PR Growth Manager (European Markets) monthly

    First result
    2 quarters
    Cost
    Agency and design time
    Owner
    Digital PR Growth Manager (European Markets)

    Smallest test

    Publish one global finding first.

    Why it works

    Publish yearly: most-learned languages by country, fastest-growing subjects, average time to a level, tutor earnings trends. Release local cuts for each market.

    A yearly report becomes a reference that press and AI systems cite.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Privacy

      Aggregates only.

    Evidence

    • HiringPreply's line in every post: "We've just reached unicorn status with a $150M Series D"; "100,000+ tutors teach 90+ languages to learners in 180 countries".Source
    • HiringDigital PR Growth Manager (European Markets), posted October 19, 2026: makes Preply "recommendable" in "ChatGPT, AI Overviews, and the LLMs people now ask"; owns Digital PR and reputation "across Spain and France" for "Language and Non-language subjects", including "link magnets", ahead of "huge new opportunities around expansion in 2027".Source
    • News coverageJanuary 21, 2026: a $150 million Series D led by WestCap at a $1.2 billion valuation; Preply said it had been EBITDA positive over the previous twelve months. June 2026: AI-generated lesson summaries with personalized feedback and exercises; "over 70% of tutors" use AI Lesson Insights (OpenAI case study).Source

Wildcards 3

Unexpected experiments, each with a cheap way to test it.

  • 19

    A plain HTTP request to the preply.com homepage got a 429 and a JavaScript challenge, while robots.txt and sitemaps were served. If AI crawlers and assistant fetchers meet the same challenge, the pages the Digital PR team is building may never reach the LLMs it is measured on.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 2 weeks Engineering Manager

    First action

    List bot rules affecting known AI crawlers.

    How to measure it

    Allowed AI crawler fetches served

    Now
    –
    Target
    95%
    By
    1 month

    Steps

    1. 1

      List rules

      Bot management settings.

      Engineering Manager for Martech team 2 days

    2. 2

      Decide policy

      Which crawlers to allow.

      Digital PR Growth Manager (European Markets) 1 week

    3. 3

      Verify

      By published IP ranges.

      Engineering Manager for Martech team 1 week

    4. 4

      Log

      Responses to AI crawlers.

      Engineering Manager for Martech team 1 week

    5. 5

      Monitor

      Weekly.

      Engineering Manager for Martech team weekly

    6. 6

      Report

      With the AI citation panel.

      Digital PR Growth Manager (European Markets) monthly

    First result
    2 weeks
    Cost
    $0
    Owner
    Engineering Manager for Martech team

    Smallest test

    Check logs for one AI crawler this week.

    Why it works

    Review the bot rules for known AI crawlers and assistant fetchers, decide which to allow, test each with its published user agent and IP ranges, and log what they receive.

    AI visibility starts with being readable by the systems that build the answers.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Scraping abuse

      Allow only verified crawlers.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteA plain HTTP request to the preply.com homepage on October 22, 2026 got HTTP 429 and "Enable JavaScript and cookies to continue", while robots.txt and the sitemaps were served normally.Source
    • HiringDigital PR Growth Manager (European Markets), posted October 19, 2026: makes Preply "recommendable" in "ChatGPT, AI Overviews, and the LLMs people now ask"; owns Digital PR and reputation "across Spain and France" for "Language and Non-language subjects", including "link magnets", ahead of "huge new opportunities around expansion in 2027".Source
    • HiringEngineering Manager for Martech (October 8, 2026): tools "to automate campaigns, create content at scale, and measure what works across paid marketing, SEO, and AI Search". Senior Data Analyst - B2B (September 8): retention and renewals for "a growing vertical", with "a renewal-risk view the Account Management team acts on".Source
  • 20

    The Engagement Operations role runs the annual tutor conference and a webinar series. That content shows teachers what a teaching career on Preply looks like, and the Tutor Brand role wants Preply seen as a career partner.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 1 month Engagement Operations Special…

    First action

    Record the next webinar for publishing.

    How to measure it

    Applications from conference clips

    Now
    –
    Target
    +20%
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Get consent

      Speakers.

      Engagement Operations Specialist 2 weeks

    2. 2

      Record

      All sessions.

      Engagement Operations Specialist ongoing

    3. 3

      Cut clips

      By language.

      Video Editor (Growth/Paid Media) 1 month

    4. 4

      Publish

      Sign-up pages and social.

      Senior Manager, Tutor Brand 2 weeks

    5. 5

      Target gaps

      Subjects with low supply.

      Senior Manager, Tutor Brand ongoing

    6. 6

      Measure

      Applications by clip.

      Supply analyst monthly

    First result
    1 month
    Cost
    Editing time
    Owner
    Engagement Operations Specialist

    Smallest test

    Publish three clips from the next webinar.

    Why it works

    Record sessions, cut them into short clips by language, and publish them on the tutor sign-up pages and social channels with links to apply.

    Real tutor stories recruit tutors in subjects and languages where supply is short, such as French and Spanish exam subjects.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Internal topics

      Edit out anything not for public.

    Evidence

    • HiringSupply side: Senior Manager, Tutor Brand (September 4, 2026) to position Preply "as a long term partner in tutors' careers"; Engagement Operations Specialist (October 19) runs "the annual tutor conference and the team's webinar series", community contests and the Academy LMS migration.Source
    • Your websiteSitemaps (checked October 22, 2026): the English school-exam tutor list has 96 pages (SAT, ACT, AP, IB subjects such as "tutors-ib-math" and "tutors-ap-calculus-bc"); the Spanish and French sitemap indexes have no school-exam list at all, and no Spanish or French URL mentions the baccalauréat, brevet, EBAU or selectividad. French test-prep pages number 10, all language exams (DELF, DALF, TCF, TEF, TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS).Source
  • 21

    Many learners study languages for their careers, and employers often reimburse training. The PLG role is looking at incentives that improve learner lifetime value.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 1 month Senior Manager

    First action

    Ask 100 business learners whether their employer reimburses lessons.

    How to measure it

    Average plan size with receipt

    Now
    –
    Target
    +15%
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Survey

      Reimbursement rates.

      PLG analyst 1 week

    2. 2

      Design receipt

      Training details.

      Senior Product Manager - Growth 1 week

    3. 3

      Build

      One-click download.

      Senior Product Manager - Growth 2 weeks

    4. 4

      Promote

      Business pages and checkout.

      Senior Manager, Growth Strategy & Operations (PLG & Pricing) 1 week

    5. 5

      Link to B2B

      Employer leads.

      Senior Data Analyst - B2B 2 weeks

    6. 6

      Measure

      Plan size and retention.

      PLG analyst monthly

    First result
    1 month
    Cost
    Engineering time
    Owner
    Senior Manager, Growth Strategy & Operations (PLG & Pricing)

    Smallest test

    Offer receipts in one market.

    Why it works

    Offer a one-click training receipt with course description, hours and level, and mention it on business-English pages and the checkout for higher-tier plans.

    If an employer pays, learners buy larger plans and stay longer.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Tax and invoice rules vary

      Check per market with Finance.

    Evidence

    • HiringSenior Manager, Growth Strategy & Operations (PLG & Pricing), Barcelona, posted September 22, 2026: owns "Product Led Growth NSGMV", "LTV to CAC efficiency" and opportunities "across referrals, advocacy, sharing, incentives"; builds Preply's Pricing and Discounting strategy "including our approach to tutor pricing, learner-facing prices, promotions, discounts, credits and incentives", which is being built "from the ground up".Source
    • HiringEngineering Manager for Martech (October 8, 2026): tools "to automate campaigns, create content at scale, and measure what works across paid marketing, SEO, and AI Search". Senior Data Analyst - B2B (September 8): retention and renewals for "a growing vertical", with "a renewal-risk view the Account Management team acts on".Source

03

How Programmable can help

Where an idea in this playbook is something Programmable builds or runs, it's listed here with what we'd do. Everything else is yours to run.

ProgrammableTalk

Fill the events in this plan

These ideas are events. Talk gets registrants for them and tells you who's coming and what their company does before the day.

Plan an event (opens programmable.talk in a new tab)
ProgrammableDigital

Show it, don't just describe it

These ideas need something to show: a demo, a video, an animation, graphics or a deck. Digital turns screenshots or the site into all of them, in the company's own brand.

Make a demo (opens programmable.digital in a new tab)
Website review of preply.com More example playbooks and reviews

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See every playbook and website review

Independent research. Programmable wrote this playbook from public sources, as they stood on October 23, 2026, and cites them throughout. Preply did not commission, review or endorse it, and Programmable is not affiliated with Preply. Company and product names are trademarks of their owners, used only to identify them. The ideas are suggestions and opinion, not professional, legal or financial advice, and not statements about how Preply runs its business.

Something wrong, or do you represent Preply? Email [email protected] and we will correct it or take it down.

30/60/90 roadmap

What to focus on in each month, and the ideas that carry it.

  1. Days 1 to 306 ideas

    FR and ES exam pages, French Q&A cleanup, faster landing pages, a clearer referral reward, Spain city pages and the first data study.

  2. Days 31 to 6010 ideas

    Discount incrementality, NLS search, tutor-video ads, US geo-lift, billing clarity, progress cards, tutor kits, employer asks and the AI panel; the crawler check.

  3. Days 61 to 905 ideas

    Commit to exam programs, the market-entry scorecard and an annual report; test tutor-conference content and training receipts.

The research behind the plan

3 research areas, each summarised in a few lines. Open any of them for the full detail.

Customers

What customers say

Customers value choice of tutors and prices. The most cited problem: subscription and billing confusion.

  • Flexible one-to-one lessons
  • Finding the right tutor
  • In their words: “perfect tutor”

Market

Competitive landscape

4 competitors compared: italki, Cambly, Lingoda and Acadomia.

  • Gap to exploit: Native exam-prep pages in FR and ES
  • italki: Less focus on school subjects
  • Cambly: English only

Hiring signals

Preply is hiring across its growth engine.

  • Digital PR Growth Manager (European Markets): Spain and France in Google and LLMs. Ideas 1, 2, 6, 15.
  • Senior Manager, Growth Strategy & Operations (PLG & Pricing): Referrals, sharing and discounting. Ideas 4, 7, 12.
  • Senior Product Manager - Expansion: Non-language subjects. Ideas 1, 16.

From the team that wrote this playbook

All products
  • ProgrammableAgencyWorking AI systems in days, not quarters (opens programmable.agency in a new tab)
  • ProgrammableInfoAn agent that finds, researches and asks first (opens programmable.info in a new tab)
  • ProgrammableDigitalScreenshots in, an animated product demo out (opens programmable.digital in a new tab)
  • ProgrammableWatchKnow the day a supplier falls out of compliance (opens programmable.watch in a new tab)
  • ProgrammableTalkGet registrants for your events, and know who’s coming (opens programmable.talk in a new tab)
  • ProgrammablePageText what you need, your customer gets a page that works (opens programmable.page in a new tab)
  • ProgrammableCommunityForums with labelled AI members, never empty (opens programmable.community in a new tab)
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