Big Think Interview With Sam Yagan

BIG THINK – Nov 10 –
Q: What’s new about OKCupid?
A: I think of OkCupid as an online bar. Imagine if you had a video camera in every bar in the country and you could watch every interaction that took place.  Imagine how much could you learn about people and dating. We’ve got that on our online bar. 

Q: What has the reaction been to OKCupid’s approach?

A: We have published some things that have made other dating executives worry about us and wonder why we’re "hurting the industry."  For example, we published the average response rate on OKCupid is about 33%. Our entire brand is about transparency.  We want that data out there because if you are only getting one in three messages replied to, you’re normal.  

Q: How is OKCupid different from other dating sites?
A: We believe that people are single and therefore turn to online dating, not because they don’t know what they’re looking for, but because they don’t meet enough people in their day-to-day life. 

A: How do you make money?

Q: From advertising.

Q: What have you learned about human behavior by looking at online dating patterns?
A: Men lie about their height by almost exactly two inches.  We also looked at what words people use in their profiles.  And we categorized those by race and gender. White men use "Tom Clancy", white women "The Boston Red Sox", black women reference spirituality. 

Q: What statistics and trends should online daters be aware of?
A: We did some research that showed that the very first word of your message that you send a girl can have a very accurate prediction of whether you’re going to get a reply.  If you just say, “Hi.”  You’re much less likely to get a reply than if you say, “Howdy,” for example.  

Q: What would you say to someone who’s having trouble succeeding at dating online?
A: The first thing we’d suggest is, read the blog, look at the tips that we’ve got. The second thing to do is invest in your profile. Take the time to write a very careful profile.