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Category: Uncategorized

Thanks to Our Sponsors

Posted on August 24, 2026
Logo of HubPeople consisting of a stylized heart icon and the text 'HubPeople' in red and teal colors.
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Reminder: LTR Edition 53 Happening This Wednesday, August 19th

Posted on August 18, 2026

OPW – If you’re interested in selling your dating company, this is an LTR you won’t want to miss. Join us tomorrow (Wednesday, August 19 at 12 PM New York time) for the 53rd edition of LTR, the online conference for leaders of dating and social businesses.

Bill Shafton, former Head of Legal at Grindr for nine years, will discuss how dating companies can prepare for M&A and what leaders should consider before entering the process.

And if payment processing is a priority for your business, payments expert Paul Larsen will cover the latest trends, challenges and solutions in payment processing.

Two highly practical sessions. RSVP here. See you tomorrow at LTR 53.

This LTR is kindly sponsored by HubPeople.ai, LeadThink and Courtland Brooks.

A conference scene featuring two speakers, Bill Shafton and Paul Larsen. Bill Shafton is identified as a former Chief Legal Officer and growth-stage legal adviser. Paul Larsen is noted as a payment processing expert. The background shows an audience engaged in the event.

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Announcing LTR 53 With Bill Shafton (Former Grindr Chief Legal Officer) and Paul Larsen (Payment Processing Expert)

Posted on August 10, 2026

OPW – The next LTR online dating industry conference is on August 19th, at 12 PM EST. In this edition, Bill Shafton, former Head of Legal at Grindr, for 9 years!, will discuss preparing for M&A. Then, luminary payment processing expert, Paul Larsen, will discuss the latest payment processing trends and solutions.

If you hold a full-time leadership role at an online dating, social discovery, or matchmaking company, you are welcome to join LTR events for free.

Why attend LTR?

🏠 Flexible: Attend from anywhere – no travel required.
⏰ Convenient: Live session. 90 minutes.
💰 Free: No registration fees.

See the LTR Edition 53 speakers and invite page here.

This event is kindly sponsored by HubPeople, LeadThink, and Matchmaker.com.

Email mark@courtlandbrooks.com to RSVP.

Image showing two speakers at a conference, Bill Shafton, a former legal officer, and Paul Larsen, a payment processing expert, with an audience in the background and logos for LTR US and Courtland Brooks.

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Opening Up to a Chatbot Backfires, and Only for the People Who Need Connection Most

Posted on August 7, 2026
AI companions

OPW – Stanford researchers just published a finding that flips one of the sturdier results in relationship science. Self-disclosure, telling someone your real stuff, usually predicts higher well-being. Diyi Yang’s lab tracked 1,131 Character.AI users, analyzed hundreds of thousands of their chat messages, and found the reverse with AI companions: the more personal information people shared with their chatbot, the worse they felt afterward. That effect concentrated almost entirely among users with small offline social networks, the exact group most likely to turn to a chatbot in the first place.

The researchers describe AI companionship as a “social snack.” It satisfies the hunger for connection in the moment while skipping the nutrients. A chatbot cannot reciprocate disclosure the way a person can, and it is built to keep the conversation going regardless of whether that’s good for you.

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Product Design Feedback

Posted on August 7, 2026

CourtlandBrooksOPW – We love doing product teardowns. The Courtland Brooks team can look over your app / service and give you feedback on how to improve it. This is how we like to start an engagement these days, as it allows us to get to know our client's product better and add key value quickly. Then from there we can better sense of how we can be of ongoing help, and where the gaps are on your team.

For the price of a marketing manager you can get access to a seasoned team of online dating professionals. See Testimonials here. See pricing and service overview. Email mark@courtlandbrooks.com or simply book an opening call here.

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Michael Kaye Ends Seven-Year Tenure at Match Group

Posted on August 5, 2026
Michael Kaye

LINKEDIN – Kaye led communications for OkCupid before working across Match Group brands on global launches, campaigns, partnerships, influencer marketing, events, and executive communications.

See full article at LinkedIn

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Matchbox Launches Mystery Match Photobooth Stunt in NYC

Posted on August 5, 2026
Mystery Match Photobooth

BUSINESS INSIDER – Matchbox, a dating startup, has partnered with popular social media account Meet Cutes NYC and photobooth vendor Faceplace to launch the Missed Connections Booth in Manhattan. Visitors answer 26 compatibility questions, pay $10, and receive a photo strip showing themselves alongside a mystery match, identified only by a first name and photos. The booth has matched 3,500 people since opening in mid-July and will remain in New York through August, with expansion to other cities under consideration.

See full article at Business Insider

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Activity-Based Singles Events Gain Popularity in London

Posted on August 5, 2026
Chicken Rush

CNN – London singles are meeting through activity-based events rather than traditional speed dating. Chicken Rush organizes team races to a secret pub and has built a 3,000-person waiting list. Date Nites runs salsa evenings for singles, with its latest 80-person event selling out. Dinner for One Hundred hosts communal pizza dinners where guests rotate between tables, while Tinder now lists local activities such as trivia nights and ceramics classes through its Events section.

See full article at CNN

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Coffee Meets Bagel Relaunches in Australia

Posted on July 31, 2026
CoffeeMeetsBagel

NEWS.COM.AU – Coffee Meets Bagel has relaunched with a redesigned matchmaking system intended to reduce endless swiping and encourage in-person dates. Its Australian research found that 82% of users swipe without intending to message or meet, while 59% are dating to marry and 91% find modern dating apps challenging. New features include a curated daily selection of up to 22 matches, seven-day chat expiry, personalized opening suggestions, profile-specific notes and activity reports showing users’ messaging behavior. The research also found that 87% of Australian daters are open to AI assistance.

See full article at News.com.au

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Online Dating Jobs Listing Update – July 2026

Posted on July 30, 2026
job offers

OPW – An update to the online dating jobs listing is live here.

Below, see a couple of this month’s most interesting offers:
Bumble – Associate Director, Corporate Communications
Ditto AI – Head of Marketing
FFN – Director of Finance and Accounting Operations
Hinge – Head of Product & Tech Operations
Hornet – Brazil Country Manager
Match Group – VP of Product Management, Trust & Safety
Matrimony – Head of Information Technology Operations
Meetic – Sr. Director Brand Marketing – Europe
Muzz – Head of Safety and Support
Social Discovery Ventures – Chief Client Experience Officer
Tawkify – Director of Growth & Optimization
Together Light – Head of Marketing

Do you have an idating industry job offer that is not included? Please send it to tips@onlinepersonalswatch.com, and we will add it to the list.

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CONTACT

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Publisher, Online Personals Watch
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