QZ – Nov 4 – Justin McLeod is the founder and CEO at Hinge, the dating app designed to be deleted. McLeod founded Hinge in February 2011. Upset by the negative hookup culture dating apps had created, he relaunched the app in October 2016 as more serious dating app. The company's user base has grown 400% in the last year.
Q: What kinds of companies will be the most important?
McLeod: Companies that serve our deeper human needs and help us feel connection, not validation.
Q: What will cause the biggest conflicts?
A: The same thing that causes the biggest conflicts today. As Pascal put it more than 400 years ago, "All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone." With constant distraction in our pockets, we seem to be connected to everything and everyone – except ourselves.
Q: How will people earn a living?
A: Empathy, connection, and companionship.
Q: How will we communicate with each other?
A: My hope is that we can engineer ways for people to communicate and connect on a deeper level than many of us are used to via social media updates and small talk.
Q: How will we entertain one another?
A: We'll be doing it in-person. I believe screens will fade out of existence, though augmented reality will certainly be part of our daily lives.
Q: How will we find love?
A: I believe choosing a partner will become an informed, data-driven decision.
Q: What kinds of stories will we tell?
A: We will look back on today with shock at how tethered we were to our phones.
Q: What will our most valuable resource be?
A: Love. The scarcest resource will be giving one another our time, care, and attention.
Q: What technology will bring about the biggest change in society?
A: Nanotech, augmented reality, AI, and connected devices.
Q: What's your best prediction for the world in 50 years?
A: Screens will become a thing of the past as we become disenchanted with our phones and tablets, and we learn to make real life more exciting through connected devices, augmented reality, and biological innovations.