BUSINESS INSIDER – June 9 – Dating app, Hinge, matches users with friends of their Facebook friends. The app is currently live in DC, Philadelphia, NYC, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, and L.A.
Q: What led you to create a dating app?
A: I was coming out of business school and there was a last chance dance party where everyone was going to say who they were interested in. If there were mutual interests they would let you know. So me and my friend built an app on FB that would allow you to list your crushes and find out if you have any mutual interests.
Q: How do you decide where to launch?
A: We look at our userbase, where they have the most friends.
Q: What is your main focus right now?
A: Deepening into the existing markets instead of rapidly expanding into new ones.
Q: How has Hinge impacted the online dating world?
A: It's a lot more accessible to people, ~50% of our users haven't used a dating site.
Q: What sets you apart from Tinder?
A: Tinder is geared towards people around you, and therefore it's pretty flirtatious, it doesn't lead offline very often. Hinge is more geared towards quality interactions.
Q: How do you measure success on Hinge?
A: We've made ~2M matches.
Q: Have you heard about marriages that resulted from Hinge?
A: Yes. We get emails on daily basis from people saying the met because of Hinge.
Q: Have you personally made any new connections on Hinge?
A: A lot of my friends are now in relationships because of Hinge.
Q: Is there anything new coming to Hinge in the near future?
A: This week we're going to be releasing simple features that allow you to edit your photos.
Q: Why did you decide to make Hinge mobile-only?
A: The world is moving mobile. Mobile is the place for this kind of experience.
Q: How does Hinge's matching algorithm work?
A: It's a combination of who you liked in the past, what their attributes are, and finding more people like that who are within your world of social connections.
Q: Do you have any plans to monetize the app?
A: Yes, it will be a freemium model.
by Rebecca Borison
See full article at Business Insider
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BOSTON.COM – Aug 15 – The app was designed to serve a burgeoning class of young professionals and recent college graduates, who experience a “social shift” when they leave college and are no longer constantly meeting new people. Hinge has so far managed to avoid the sexist remarks, innuendos, and harassment charges that have toppled top executives at Tinder and Snapchat. This appears to be paying off among young women, who Hinge CEO Justin McLeod says have tired of “more objectifying experiences.” Hinge only matches users who share Facebook friends, giving the full name, contact information, and sometimes place of business of matches, rendering users neither shady nor faceless. The app boasts a unique algorithm that uses past choices to predict future matches. Hinge recently obtained a $4.5 million investment, speaking to how Hinge has already begun to generate momentum.
