Category: Hinge
How Justin McLeod Made Millions From Dating
Tinder Got Dumped for Hinge This Valentine’s Day
THINKNUM – Feb 28 – Over the past year, the Apple Store ratings for Hinge have grown 123%, while Tinder's rating count has only increased by 52%. Tinder's Facebook 'Talking About' count surged last Valentine's Day at 124K mentions. But this year, that number dropped 80% down to 25K. Hinge's 'Talking About' count peaked on January 2 at 1,400 mentions, likely the result of some New Year's resolutions.
Online Daters Looking for More Than Endless Swiping
AP – Feb 25 – Some of today's app users are sick of the endless swiping according to industry leaders who are responding with new ways to get users off their phones and out meeting people in the real world. David Vermeulen's The Inner Circle launched in 2012 and curates users looking for meaningful connections, and hosts offline events in cities around the globe for 2+ million members. People have become "Tinder tired". Justin McLeod launched Hinge in 2011, and in 2016 removed the swipe option to encourage more interaction. Vermeulen plans to add an automated response to anyone who just messages "Hi" as an introduction, which he said is often a dead-end to dating. "We're gonna say, OK, this is not the best start for a conversation. You have to do better."
by Louise Dixon
See full article at AP
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Hinge CEO Justin McLeod: “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a CEO”
THRIVE GLOBAL – Feb 20 – Justin grew up in Louisville, KY. After a few years in consulting, he attended Harvard Business School, then founded Hinge in 2011.
- It's not the idea that counts. It's the people and the market. What really drove our success was the group of smart, creative, loyal, gritty people I recruited, and the fact we were in an undervalued market.
- Be a coach, not a commander. I had to learn to stop directing people, and start coaching them, setting clear objectives, then asking how I can help them get there and show I believe they can!
- Focus on the customer, not the competition.
- Spend less time debating, more time experimenting. Survey, prototype, test.
- Routines and rules are the key to sanity. Daily yoga, meditation, and journaling (to zoom out and get perspective), and a weekly date with myself (usually ecstatic dance) and a date with my wife. Kate and I have a deal where neither of us spend time on our computers or devices from 8pm to 8am – every day!
My vision is for Hinge to not just be a dating platform, but a trusted expert that guides our members through the process of connecting with the person best for them. Hinge Labs is launching at the beginning of 2020 to address this.
Why Hinge Employees Bet a $200 Dating Stipend
YAHOO FINANCE – Feb 11 – Dating and relationships are at the heart of the company's culture, said McLeod, CEO of dating app Hinge. Employees of Hinge enjoy perks, including a $200 a month stipend to go on dates. "They're encouraged to use the money to do something that they wouldn't have typically done without the $200," he said. McLeod said even he uses the benefit for date nights with his spouse.
Q&A With Hinge CEO
YAHOO MONEY – Feb 11 – Hinge is one of the fastest growing dating apps in North America. The app's active user base has increased 400% YOY. Founder and CEO Justin McLeod discusses the state of the dating apps, how the space has changed since Hinge's creation, Facebook Dating, users privacy and the company's $200 dating stipend for employees.
OPW Podcast – The Top Dating Industry News for Jan 14th
OPW – Jan 14 – Hinge's online merch shop, UK online dating survey, Momo's video social app Duiyan.
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Hinge Opens Merch Store With ‘Delete Day’ Goods
Hinge’s Founder Leans Into Data to Set the Dating App Apart From Other Apps
MASHABLE – Dec 3 – Hinge, which at one point called itself "the relationship app," is one of the many apps now owned by the Match Group but still strives to set itself apart. Its founder, Justin McLeod, set out to make an app less shallow than Tinder – but with a younger demographic than eHarmony and Match. Hinge ditched swiping in 2016 and charged seven dollars for the app to weed out non-serious users. By 2017, the mandated membership fee was gone, but they did not go back to the swipe model. After being acquired by Match Group, Hinge went through another rebrand that included a design makeover and a new tag line, "Designed to be deleted." Hinge has been fine-tuning their algorithm and figuring out what leads to better matches. Using data to help users get into relationships is partially the inspiration behind Hinge Lab, the app's new data department. Hinge Lab is like personal trainers at the gym.