Category: All Interviews

OPW Interview With Michael Egan, CEO Of Spark Networks, During iDate Miami

Posted on February 8, 2016

OPW – Feb 5 – Last year was a turnaround for Spark Networks. Four directors were voted out and new board came in. Michael Egan joined in as CEO in December 2014 from Internet Brands. Since the company had no proper mobile product, a lot of effort in 2015 was put into building a mobile dating app. They launched dating app Spark, which was an experiment, and later Crosspaths, a Tinder-like dating app within the Christian community, that has now ~20K monthly active users in LA.

Michael Egan also talked about JSwipe acquisition. Last summer Spark Networks sued Jewish dating app JSwipe but soon realized that JSwipe user base was very complementary to jDate (90% of JSwipe users are under 30, jDate users are 35+), and decided to buy it instead for $7M.

See all posts on Spark Networks

Post by the Courtland Brooks team

Joseph Phua, CEO And Co-Founder Of Paktor Interview

Posted on September 16, 2015

Paktor joseph phuaOPW INTERVIEW – Sep 16 – Singapore-based dating app Paktor is like Asian Tinder. The dating app has recently raised $7.4M in series B funding, and is poised to be the biggest social dating brand in Asia. Here is our interview with Paktor's CEO & co-Founder, Joseph Phua.

What is your founding story?
When I was in the US, I became single after a long-term relationship, which lasted ~8 years. I saw a lot of people having success using dating websites so I gave it a shot. It worked for me. When I returned to Singapore, I started Paktor. Going mobile was the most compelling option due to its scalability and the increasing smartphone penetration in Southeast Asia.

How is Paktor different and better than Tinder?
International players have struggled in South East Asia for multiple reasons. Sometimes it is due to the fragmented nature of the region that has multiple languages and cultures that hinders them. At Paktor, we think global and act local. Our approach is tailored to an Asian market, because we know what works for each individual market. Paktor is also the first dating app to offer a premium offline one-on-one matchmaking service and social dating events, called GaiGai (走街).

You raised a $7.4m series B round in July. How are you spending it?
Expansion remains our top priority. The funds will be used to aggressively grow the brand in existing markets that include Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Taiwan. We would like to also expand into new Asian markets. The Paktor team has also grown to 50 team members, up from 15 during its Series-A round 6 months ago. Part of the investment will also be channelled to product development, adding further value for users.

How would you define 'social discovery'?
Social discovery is the serendipitous experience of developing new connections aided by algorithms on social platforms. To me, it means the facilitation of an introduction between two strangers and the ability to meet new people beyond one's existing social circles. Paktor facilitates social discovery in many different ways. For example, we have a wide database of people to meet regardless of whether they are in your immediate vicinity or further away. It also helps you by filtering who you would want to meet by interest, height, distance from you etc. These features increase the likelihood of you meeting someone with whom you may share similar interests and sets the stage for the relationship to grow further and in an organic and genuine way.

What is the future of social discovery?
I see social discovery developing in two ways. Firstly, the increased vastness of the playground to explore and discover. Secondly, the refinement of the discovery process. This means better algorithms and data to help people discover new people.

What is your goal for Paktor for 2016?
Our 2016 goal is focused on rapid growth to become the leading mobile social network beyond the Southeast Asian region.

See all posts on Paktor

Post by Courtland Brooks Internet Dating Marketing Consulting

‘Hift’ Is Tinder For Singles With STDs, CEO Interview

Posted on September 8, 2015

Hift marie yatesOPW INTERVIEW – Sep 8 – Marie Yates would like to end the stigma around STD's and started Hift to help people with STDs connect. We've similar services such as Positive Singles but this is a new app for people to privately connect and converse, and meet. – Mark Brooks

Why did you start Hift? What's your founding story?
The idea for Hift came to me when a close friend was told that they had HIV. 'Will I ever date again?' was one of the many things on their mind and it occurred to me that my friend was not the only STI positive person to ask this. I thought that I could really help people here, and so Hift was created. Having an STI doesn't mean the end of dating but Hift is there for support if needed.

Why did you feel there was an opening in the market?
More than one million people get an STI everyday, whether that be temporary, like Chlamydia or something more long term, such as HIV or Herpes. I thought that the creation of Hift could really help some people when it came to mixing STIs with dating. When Hift was first created there was no other tinder-like dating apps for those with STIs. I like the ease of it, if two people find each other attractive, they Match – it's a simple as that.

There's 400 million people on the planet with STD's, how do you plan on reaching them?
Hift is a new App and our main goal right now is getting our name out.  Not all 400 million people will need Hift, some might be in relationships or comfortable enough to talk about their STI openly on a non-STI dating app and that's great. But Hift is there for those who want more support or like discretion.

How many members do you have now, and where are they based mainly?
Most of our users are based in the U.S, although we have users from all over the world. Although we can't reveal the number of users we have, we can say that we are growing quickly.

How do you monetize?
We have just stared a VIP service for $20 a month where users can have extra services such as searching by location and have extra rounds in Play. But the main goal right now is getting our name out, not making money.

What's your plans for the next couple of years?
Grow. Have a better product, throw singles parties and events, do whatever we can to optimise the Hift experience and help our users. But my main objective is to eventually educate, in schools, conventions, anywhere that will have us, and eradicate STI stigma. I hope that one day there isn't a need for Hift and that people accept that HIV, Herpes, any STI is just a part of life sometimes. If we could end the stigma, that would be fantastic.

Post by Courtland Brooks Internet Dating Marketing Consulting

BeehiveID Launches Selfie-Authentication Service, CEO Interview

Posted on September 1, 2015

BeehiveID selfie verifiedOPW INTERVIEW – Sep 1 – Mary Haskett is the CEO of BeehiveID, who are focused on helping Internet dating sites authenticate users. (Full Disclosure: BeehiveID is a client of Courtland Brooks) – Mark Brooks

Tell me how you understand fraud issues in the dating industry and the negative consequences?
I’ve changed my perspective since I started working with the online dating industry about a year ago. My background is working for the DoD.

The problem is that everyone online is anonymous and totally unaccountable for their actions. The question isn't "Who are you?" but "Can I hold you accountable if you turn out to be a jerk?"

Most of the fraud in the online dating industry is peer-to-peer fraud. An impostor poses as a love interest, lures the victim into a romance, and ransacks his or her finances. They aren't directly defrauding the dating site (we're talking about users defrauding each other) but there are negative consequences to the reputation of the site.

But accountability is not just about the obvious scam, it is about accountability for community standards. For example, on one dating site it might be super-important that you are a vegetarian. In real-life societies, we always hold people accountable for whatever the standards of our group might be. Online, we can't do that because people can always come back under new identities.

How does BeehiveID resolve these key fraud issues and what are the features and benefits?
We ensure that customers who create an online account are real. However, we don't need to know any personal information. We just know they are real and unique, and that is enough to enforce accountability.

We have two primary methods – one is "selfie authentication" where a user makes a short video with a webcam or phone and the other uses social sites (LinkedIn, Facebook and Google).

How much does it cost?
It starts at $1 per verification for very low volumes and can go as low as $0.15 per verification for large volumes.

How easily is it too implement?
It is very easy to implement. There are two options. For sites with low volume or no technical team at all, they just send an email to their members inviting them to verify their identity with BeehiveID. The email includes a link to a branded page that guides them through the process. We then create a web report of all the users that we have verified and they manually check the report each day and update that user's profile to denote their verified status.

For sites who want to automate the process, they add a graphical button in the new account creation process. This button pops up the BeehiveID window and we verify their ID. Then we send the results to a web end point that they have to create.

Do you offer trials?
Yes. We also have a program for startups to let them use BeehiveID for free while they are building up their user base.

Post by Courtland Brooks Internet Dating Marketing Consulting

Matchmaker Turns Into Dating App Innovator, Samantha Daniels Interview

Posted on August 19, 2015

The Dating Lounge founder Samantha DanielsOPW INTERVIEW – Aug 19 – The matchmaking and iDating worlds are starting to collide. And thats a good thing. Samantha knows matchmaking, and know she's developed The Dating Lounge. Here's our interview with her. – Mark Brooks

What made you decide to go from the traditional matchmaking business into the tech/app world?
I have been in the professional matchmaking business for 16 years. I spent so much time with my high-end clients listening to what they didn’t like about dating apps that I realized that I was perfectly positioned to create a dating app for upscale people and give them exactly what they wanted.

How do people get into The Dating Lounge?
They must be invited or approved for admission in order to join. They can either be invited to join by a current member or they can request that a current member approve their admission. Additionally, they can fill out a brief questionnaire to be placed on our waitlist.

What kind of members do you have?
The members of The Lounge are high-end, selective, successful influencers who are well-educated, well-traveled, philanthropic and attractive.

What features make it unique?

  • It is invitation only and has a professional matchmaker behind it.
  • There are more strategic match settings than any other app so they can really zero-in on finding a match
  • Members can play matchmaker, they can also ask the matchmaker a question
  • Members can ask a friend a reference on a match.
  • The algorithm excludes married people and people in a relationship

How do you exclude marrieds?
A person must join through their Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter accounts. Then, part of our algorithm detects if the person is married or in a relationship, so that if they try to go forward using the app, they are blocked.

What do you charge members?
At the moment the app is still in BETA and is free of charge for all members. We expect to change it to a VIP subscription based model once it is out of beta.

How have you seeded initial growth?
I seeded the initial growth privately and now am softly speaking to strategic investors.

See all posts on The Dating Lounge

Post by Courtland Brooks Internet Dating Marketing Consulting

Attorney Turns Into Internet Dating Entrepreneur, Date2Relate

Posted on August 7, 2015

Date2relate steve spectorOPW INTERVIEW – Aug 7 – Steve Spector was an attorney, and now he's an Internet dating entrepreneur. He's launching Date2Relate this week, which will help users manage their Internet dating life across several sites. Here's our interview with Steve… – Mark Brooks

What is Date2Relate?
Date2Relate is not a traditional dating site. It is a supportive community of online dating professionals that will help you navigate the online dating world.

What's your personal background?
I've had a career as a lawyer. I owned a worldwide niche compact disc business, and freelanced as a small business marketing consultant.

What inspired you to start a dating site?
What brought me to the Idate space was my personal frustration with online dating. There wasn't any dating site that would provide useful information to online daters as well as guidance and support. It's hard not to have expectations of meeting that special person and when it doesn't happen within your timeframe you may get frustrated, angry, and even depressed. These moods affect all of dealings with online prospects. Our team eliminates this "beaten down" factor by shielding the client from online rejection and from those who aren't serious.

What services do you provide to online daters?
We offer a subscription based service called "Total Dating Life Management (TDLM) solution". It provides users with a daily contact with a Total Dating Life Management Counselor (TDLMC) who will be managing their online dating life across a number of platforms. These folks will already have a summary of who their clients are based upon the answers in their Intake Survey. This package will also include a dating site photo and profile analysis, a review of the best sites to focus on, complete dating prospect correspondence, scheduling of a first date, and even access to accredited dating coaches. Many of these services will also be available as "specialty service" options.

We'll be donating 1% of our weekly net profits to Mariska Hargitay's Joyful Heart Foundation, the organisation that fights domestic violence and whose slogan is the powerful 'No More.'

The site will also feature an extensive book review section, blog posts on all things dating and relationships, a cartoon section, a dating gallery of archival couples photos, quizzes, contests, and much more.

How much will you charge?
Our pricing strategy is simple and transparent. We charge fixed fees for certain services such as profile writing or undertaking a background check.  These services are discounted when bundled. And as for our Total Dating Life Management Solution, we have two subscription periods: a 3-month membership and a 6-month membership in which we will undertake (with your permission) to run your dating life for you up until you decide it's time to schedule your 1st date.

How do you plan to grow to critical mass?
We've limited our efforts to the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, and Ireland. We have an extensive PR campaign planned and a social media campaign locked and loaded.

Post by Courtland Brooks Internet Dating Marketing Consulting

Fondoo Founder Keith Wright Explains His Unique Mobile Dating App

Posted on August 4, 2015

Fondoo founder Keith WrightOPW INTERVIEW – Aug 4 – Fondoo has message blasts which self destruct after 12 hours. So users can interact in the moment, with people who are active on the app. Here's Keith's overview of the app. – Mark Brooks

Here's the short version. Or you can read the full interview here.

What's your founding story? What does Virgin Labs do?
After my experience working for Wildfire Interactive, which was ended up being the fastest growing social media marketing startup, I became interested in proximity based mobile dating apps. I developed Fondoo, which is a platform people use while out and about. It is a way for them to connect with other people that are in the same mindset of wanting to do something with someone right now. Users can only be discovered on Fondoo if they are proactive with using the app as opposed to a more passive searching and swiping through profiles approach. Its social, to say the least.

What did you learn from Wildfire that inspired you to start a dating app?
I learned a lot about social media. Fondoo was built with certain core social media features that everyone knows and loves, such as the Feed, Post and Inbox. One thing that seems to really differentiate different social media platforms are their algorithms around their Feed. Facebook's social feed algorithm connects you with your friends and family. Twitter's social feed algorithm connects you with real-time content from public figures and publishers. Fondoo's social feed algorithm connects you with like minded singles you might be interested in dating. The three are all very much focused on the social feed.

How's your first week post-launch going?
We are constantly observing usage, constantly making optimization changes to the overall experience, and the marketing approach through well networked events seems to really be paying off. We have partnered with upscale restaurants, lounges, bars and nightclubs, and we have a number of fun events lined up this Summer in New York City. Our initial "soft-ish" launch event was held in Manhattan's Meat Packing District and had a turn out of over 600 people.

What other things is Virgin Labs working on?
Right now we are focused on the development of Fondoo but there is always a possibility of new exciting projects emerging in the coming months and years.

Post by Courtland Brooks Internet Dating Marketing Consulting

Interview With Dan Sherman, CEO Of Dating App ‘ON’

Posted on May 12, 2015

On dating app iconOPW INTERVIEW – May 12 – ON is a photo-centric app that just passed one million users and is doing particularly well with the 18-24 set. I interviewed the CEO Dan Sherman. – Mark Brooks

What is ON?
ON is an Android and iOS app that is best described as the "Instagram for meeting new people". We use proprietary social networking and geo-discovery technology to instantly connect users using the medium that cuts through all the clutter – photos. Many apps that are out there today are focused on connecting you with people within your circles of friends. ON is focused on connecting users to people they don't already know. It uses an Instagram interface but allows you to search for people you have never met using criteria in an open environment.

Think about it as a new and improved Badoo, with the difference being that ON was built from the ground up as a photo-centric app. My team and I built everything from the basis that it is the app experience that counts first and the web follows.

Why is it attracting so many young users?
Over 50% of our users are in the 18-24 age group. The reason for this I believe comes down to the ON user interface. We looked at the users experience for the best-in-class apps that people use every day. So people feel very comfortable and familiar with the UX at the outset. This familiarity factor really helps with conversions to active users.

Users make friends and build relationships through app-based photo sharing. They use the app to follow, like, chat or message. 

What's the secret sauce?
The reason it gets much greater attention from the younger demographic is because a platform based on a combination of photo sharing and messaging has become the foundation for all the most popular apps and web sites. It's what all the younger population is doing and its become the standard that all the successful sites and apps must deliver. Younger users are living on Snapchat, Intagram, Facebook, etc. We have some unique features that we think enhance the overall experience, but it all starts with a high quality photo sharing and chat foundation.

What are your engagement metrics?
Our users are on the app on average over 3 times a day – as compared to a Benchmark Metric for other Social apps of 2 times a day. Once on the app our users stay on – typically a session will on average last over 40 to 50 seconds, versus the benchmark of 30 seconds. We see very strong user engagement – people just like spending time on the app interacting with others.

What's your founding story?
Myself and a four other developers starting working on the app in 2012 and we launched in 2014. We were looking for a better alternative for meeting new people that was mobile-centric and didn’t have the stale look and feel of the older web-based sites.

What is your background?
I graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelors degree in Computer Science and Engineering. With a background in high-traffic websites, and a passion for mobile apps, I founded ChickenBrick Studios, a creator of games and apps for iOS and Android. We have a great track record of developing successful apps including: the first real-time multiplayer game on Android; a top 10 finance app; and a number of award winning games. In 2013 ChickenBrick developed a platform to allow game developers to easily add social features to their games, offering drop-in leader-boards, achievements, friends lists, and push notifications via SwarmConnect. I've also created over 40 apps for CBS College Sports, Rosetta Stone's Android app, and many more. Our apps have been installed by tens of millions of users so my team brings unparalleled mobile experience to the ON product.

You just passed one million unique users on ON. What proportion of them came from referral versus advertising?
Our growth has been 99% organic and word of mouth. We have had almost no advertising. We are very excited about our newest high profile user that has recently started to use and promote the site – the entertainer Pitbull. With over 63 million fans on Facebook we’re sure to see a big impact from his presence on our site.

How is Pitbull helping to grow the site?  
Pitbull has just started to use and promote the app. He recently discovered it and began promoting it because he liked the app so much. We are pleased he is helping us build the community – with the huge community of followers he has I'm sure his activity and support will help drive registrations and downloads quite significantly.

What are your goals for the app and site for 2015-2016?
Our goal is to increase the pace of adding users, primarily through organic growth but also with a modest investment in advertising.  Overall we are looking to build towards a user base of over 10 million people over the next one to two years. And of course we are always looking for ways to keep improving the product to provide the best overall user experience because we know that is what will ultimately drive the growth with continued loyalty and engagement of our users.

How are you monetizing the app?
We are monetizing through a freemium model, much like many of the other social apps and websites, like Badoo, Skout, etc. 

What do you think of Tinder charging now?
Tinder has also gone the route of a freemium model – like ON. So the user can pay extra for special features but the core app is still free. We strongly believe that this is the right model for apps in the social space and think it is a smart move on their part to go this direction.

Post by Mark Brooks @ Courtland Brooks Internet Dating Marketing Consulting

SweetMatch CEO Interview, Maxim Kolotsay Explains Why They’re Focused On Indonesia & Malaysia

Posted on May 5, 2015

Sweetmatch maxim kolotsayOPW INTERVIEW – May 5 –

What is your founding story?
We received investment from "The Web Production" (TWP) a major software developer, which has over 15 years of experience in delivering IT solutions for major European and American companies such as Siemens, T-Mobile, NEC, 1&1, Sony, etc. Our team of managers and developers (now co-founders) created and successfully promoted different IT products and solutions with TWP, which brought in millions of dollars of profit. When we created our dating app concepts, our partners from TWP invested and we created the dating services.

Why did you select the Malaysian and Indonesian markets to focus on?

  1. Emerging market are the place to be. Indonesia and Malaysia are two of the fastest growing internet markets with a huge, young and connected population. Almost 50% of the entire population (250 million) are age 15-45 and are very connected and open to new experiences. Mobile dating services are growing very fast.
  2. We have a partnership with Huawei, a strong partner with deep knowledge about these markets, and they're ready to support us to establish a strong presence.
  3. For a new app, the best growth strategy is to find a reliable publisher who believes in the products potential and are ready to share the risk and revenues. Compared with Western markets, emerging markets are more open to this business model.

How mature is the mobile and Internet dating market in Malaysia, and in Indonesia?
We see a lot of Asian and international companies starting to become active in these markets. While the competition is not so high, there is clearly much more space for growth than for example in the US and European markets. Also, potential local partners are much more likely to respond to different offers and have a potential for growth of their effectiveness.

What's your angle? How is SweetMatch different?

  1. We position our product as an online dating / flirting game.
  2. Our app reduces the amount of messaging between users in the early stages using various ice-breakers and games. While playing, users can find their best match.
  3. We focus on online interactions and instant feedback between users in real time.

Who are your notable competitors?
Yogrt, Wavoo, Setipe and Singapore-based Paktor are the most notable, as well as localized versions of international ones.

How do you monetize?
For Indonesian market we’ve modified our subscription model. We offer 3 days for 3,300 IDR (25c USD) subscription with a daily renewal. Users can send likes, play games and send messages for free, they need premium access to be able to read incoming messages.

What are your goals for 2015-2016?
We will be developing our partnership with Huawei and Huawei’s partners in major asian markets and improving our app according to the statistics we get, for the best user experience and monetization. Also, the iOS version of the app will be released and new partnerships in LATM and Europe will be announced.

Post by Mark Brooks @ Courtland Brooks Internet Dating Marketing Consulting