Category: Outlets – Fast Company

Investors Are Getting Back Together With Match Group, Sending Shares up 14%

Posted on August 2, 2024

Match GroupFAST COMPANY – Match Group has attracted activist investors seeking changes to revitalize Tinder and the dating app industry. The company reported better-than-expected Q2 results, boosting shares by 14%. Tinder's paying users stabilized at 9.6 million, slightly above estimates, signaling recovery. CFO Gary Swidler emphasized 2024 as a year of progress, focusing on stabilization and improvement. Despite positive trends, Match shares remain 17% lower than last year. The company is laying off 6% of its workforce and shutting down live streaming services to focus on generative AI tools. Activist investors urge strategic changes, with some suggesting potential sales if improvements falter.

by Jessica Bursztynsky
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Feeld Rebrands With Vibrant New Look

Posted on July 24, 2024

Feeld 2024FAST COMPANY – Feeld, a dating app for exploring polyamory and non-monogamy, has undergone a colorful rebrand by creative agency Made Thought, winning Fast Company's 2024 Innovation by Design Award in graphic design.

by Grace Snelling
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How Hinge CEO Justin McLeod Plans to Use AI

Posted on July 15, 2024

Justin McLeod, CEO of HingeFAST COMPANY – Hinge's founder and CEO, Justin McLeod, discusses the state of dating in 2024 and the transformative potential of an AI dating coach. Unlike other apps focusing on engagement and retention, Hinge prioritizes getting users on good dates. This approach led to innovations like rich profiles, interactive prompts, and meaningful comments. McLeod acknowledges that dating apps don't work for everyone. Many users struggle to progress from matches to relationships. AI can act as a personalized dating coach, helping users improve their profiles, select better photos, and write effective prompts, especially benefiting those less adept at online dating. Hinge's marketing strategy focuses on being genuinely helpful rather than provocative. They deliver practical advice through data reports and campaigns tailored to specific communities, such as the queer audience.

by Robert Safian
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Hinge Tests New Feature to Limit Likes for Users With Unanswered Chats

Posted on May 16, 2024

Hinge unanswered messages limit featureFAST COMPANY – Hinge is testing a feature that restricts users with eight or more unanswered chats from liking new matches until they reply or close existing conversations. This initiative by Match Group aims to improve engagement and reduce dating app burnout.

by Jessica Bursztynsky
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Dating App Feeld Grapples With Tech Issues as Non-Monogamy Gains Popularity

Posted on March 20, 2024

FeeldFAST COMPANY – Feeld, a dating app catering to non-monogamous relationships, faces growing pains amidst rising interest in ethical non-monogamy (ENM). Users experienced login issues and lost matches due to a major app update, impacting even those with paid memberships. Despite frustrations, Feeld's community remains loyal, valuing the app's role in connecting individuals seeking non-traditional relationships. Feeld was created by Dimo Trifonov and Ana Kirova in 2014 as 3nder, to address their own desire for a platform supporting couple dating. However, legal hurdles soon emerged, including a copyright infringement lawsuit from Tinder, which Trifonov criticized as corporate bullying.

by Rebecca Ackermann
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Tinder’s New CEO Plans to Refresh the Legacy App

Posted on February 14, 2024

TinderFAST COMPANY – Faye Iosotaluno, previously Tinder's COO and chief strategy officer at Match Group, has been appointed CEO of Tinder, aiming to rejuvenate the platform amidst challenges, including a decline in paying users by 8% in Q4 2023 from the previous year. This marks the fifth consecutive quarter of decline, attributed partly to increased subscription prices. Tinder is now focusing on adapting to its largest user demographic, Gen Z, and integrating artificial intelligence to enhance user experiences. These efforts are part of Tinder's broader strategy to regain its leading position in the online dating industry.

by Jessica Bursztynsky
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Hinge Is Spending $1M to Get People Meeting IRL

Posted on December 5, 2023

One More Hour by HingeFAST COMPANY – Hinge is launching a $1M social impact fund to address the loneliness epidemic among its Gen Z users. The fund will provide grants of $10 – $25K to groups in Atlanta, LA and New York City to create in-person connection opportunities for young adults. This initiative, led by Hinge's first social impact director, Josh Penny, aims to encourage users to form platonic relationships and engage in social activities. The grant applications will be open from Jan 8 to 30, with recipients announced in mid-Apr.

by Jessica Bursztynsky
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How Bumble’s New CEO Lidiane Jones Plans to Use AI

Posted on November 7, 2023

Bumble Lidiane JonesFAST COMPANY – Lidiane Jones, who is currently CEO of the workplace-messaging platform Slack, will succeed Wolfe Herd starting January 2. As executive chair, Wolfe Herd expects to stay focused on the 10-year strategy for the brand, including areas like public policy and social impact. Jones, for her part, said, "I'm a product leader to the bone," one with crucial experience in AI and managing global teams. Jones's role is to bring Bumble into its next chapter, especially as AI takes center stage. She intends to look for ways to use AI "to continue to augment the perfect match, but also create experiences that are more natural for members to discover their match." She noted that AI can support Bumble's longstanding emphasis on user safety.

by Jessica Bursztynsky
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Q&A With the Founders of Dateability, the Dating App for the Disabled Community

Posted on September 18, 2023

DateabilityFAST COMPANY – Denver-based sisters Jacqueline and Alexa Child launched Dateability, a dating app targeting people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Despite having over 8,000 users, the app faces challenges in securing funding, a common issue for startups focused on the disabled community. While the app is currently pre-revenue, plans are in place to monetize via ads and a future subscription model.

by Shalene Gupta
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Match Group Releases Its Guiding Principles for Integrating AI Into Its Dating Apps

Posted on September 12, 2023

Match GroupFAST COMPANY – Match Group has outlined seven guiding principles for integrating AI into its platforms. These principles focus on authenticity, equity, explainability, accountability, safety, privacy, and integrity, with a commitment to ethical and responsible innovation while using AI to enhance user experiences.

by Jessica Bursztynsky
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