PR NEWSWIRE – July 19 – As the leader in conversations, with over a billion to-date, POF today launched "Spark", a new in-app feature that enables a user to easily initiate a conversation. By picking up and dragging a new conversation icon over any aspect of a potential date's profile, users can quote and comment on any content – from photos, to anything a user has written about themselves.
Month: July 2017
Marriage And Divorce Rates Among Pensioners Rise
by Paul McClean
See full article at Financial Times (under subscription)
Q&A With Whitney Wolfe, Bumble
Q: Where did your big idea come from?
A: I really wanted to start a female-only social network, where women could only speak to each other in compliments. My business partner said, "That's a great idea, but why don't you do this in dating? I think there's a real need for this in the dating space."
Q: How did you choose the name Bumble?
A: I originally wanted the app to be called Moxie, but unfortunately there was a trademark issue. A woman on the legal team of my business partner suggested Bumble.
Q: What was the first thing you did to get your idea off the ground?
A: Finding a passionate, dedicated and talented team.
Q: What was the second thing?
A: We created the content that told our story, and explained our vision and our mission.
Q: When did your big break happen?
A: I don't think we had one big break. One big moment for us was when I was invited to be a guest on The Daily Show.
Q: If you could go back in time, what is the one thing you would do differently?
A: I wouldn't be so trusting.
Q: How do you think being a woman has helped you starting your own business?
A: There's no better way to start a business than to build a business based off your personal struggles.
Q: What was your 'I think I've made it' moment?
A: I don't think I've had that moment yet! But I don't think I'll ever say, "I've made it." I'm a firm believer in always staying grounded, and always thinking there's another level to reach.
Q: What task or area of your business will you never delegate?
A: I don't think I'll ever be able to delegate the future, the roadmap, where we go next.
Q: Do you have a big roadmap planned?
A: Yes, we do. We have a roadmap all the way into 2019, so we're quite ambitious.
Q: Before anyone starts their own business, what questions should they ask themselves?
A: Are you solving a real problem that your friends have? Are you solving a true problem that exists beyond yourself? And are you building something that is a solution to something that would truly make the world a better place, in some capacity?
Dating Service Buyers Wanted
OPW – July 18 – I'm building a list of buyers of small to medium sized dating properties. Please let me know if you're in the market for a dating app or dating service and have a budget in the range of $500k to $2 million.
Post by Mark Brooks @ Courtland Brooks
Tinder Co-Founder: 3 Things To Keep In Mind When Designing For Millions Of Users
QUORA – July 18 – Here are some tips for designing a product that millions of people use; originally appeared on Quora and answer by Jonathan Badeen, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Tinder.
- make things easier and more intuitive for your users with minimal user education necessity
- gamification is another way to make sure that users are having fun with the product
- simplicity is always better
Communist Youth League Of China Is Holding Mass Blind Dates
Momo: When Tinder Meets YouTube
BLOOMBERG – July 17 – For 4 years, China's Momo bumbled along as yet another dating app. Similar to Tinder, Momo let users find people nearby and make a choice whether to pass or play. It wasn't a bad business. But it wasn't a good one. While sales grew at triple-digit %, Momo's 2014 full-year loss tripled to $25.4M. The company managed to hit a profit only in the Q1 2015. Momo net income wasn't too enticing while it bumbled along as a dating-app maker. The turnaround came when chairman, CEO and co-founder Yan Tang discovered video. At first, in Q1 2015, he allowed pre-selected performers to broadcast live concerts. Then in March and April 2016 he launched a broadcast app call Hani and opened up live video to everyone. Momo revenue exploded. From $15.6M in sales for the March quarter last year, live video rocketed to $57.9M three months later – accounting for 58% of total revenue. Last quarter that figure stood at ~$213M, helping the company post ~$81M in net income. Harvard Management Co., which oversees the university's $35.7B endowment, took note and bought 214,350 shares in the Q1 of this year – making it the fund's fifth-largest holding. Based on the stock's quarter-end price of $34, the fund has already netted a 21% return.
Grindr Made A Big Change For UK users
Ruby Corp To Pay $11M In Settlement
PR NEWSWIRE – July 14 – Ruby Corp and a proposed class of plaintiffs have reached a proposed settlement agreement resolving the class action lawsuits that were filed in July 2015 following a data breach of Ashley Madison. If the proposed settlement agreement is approved by the Court, ruby will contribute a total of $11.2M to a settlement fund, which will provide payments to settlement class members who submit valid claims for alleged losses resulting from the data breach. While ruby denies any wrongdoing, the parties have agreed to the proposed settlement in order to avoid the uncertainty, expense, and inconvenience associated with continued litigation.
See full article at PR Newswire
Tinder Sending Couple On First Date 3 Years After They Started Running Joke On App
