✦ Business Writing

Real companies.
Real lessons.

I write about businesses I find genuinely interesting — how they grew, where they struggled, and what actually drove their decisions. No AI filler, no generic takes.

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EdTech · Behavior Design

Duolingo Is Not an Education Company. It Is a Behavior Machine.

Everyone thinks Duolingo teaches languages. It doesn't. It engineers daily habits at scale and charges people who can't tolerate the friction of doing it for free. 113M users. 8.6% pay. 73% gross margin.

9 min read · Ujwal Geed →

Fast Food · Real Estate

McDonald's Isn't Really a Food Company (And That's the Point)

The golden arches are everywhere, but the real business is real estate. How McDonald's built an empire most people completely misunderstand.

Coffee · Psychology

Starbucks: Selling a $7 Coffee Isn't About the Coffee

Nobody actually needs a venti oat milk latte. But millions buy one every day. Here's the psychology, the real estate strategy, and what most people miss.

Travel · Marketplace

Airbnb: What Happens When Strangers Trust Strangers

Two guys renting air mattresses to afford rent. Then a $75B company. The messy, unlikely story of how Airbnb convinced the world this was normal.

Dunkin': How a Donut Shop Took On Coffee Giants and Won

While Starbucks built an experience, Dunkin' built a habit. The story of how "just get me my coffee" became a billion-dollar identity.

Coursera's Bet: Can You Actually Replace a University?

How a Stanford professor's side project became a $2B platform — and why the real disruption isn't the technology, it's the certificate.