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I worked for a dating site a long time ago. The business model seems simple at first glance but the incentives of the customer and business are almost 100% in o
by caseysoftware 6y ago
I worked for a dating site a long time ago. The business model seems simple at first glance but the incentives of the customer and business are almost 100% in opposition:
https://caseysoftware.com/blog/working-for-a-dating-website https://caseysoftware.com/blog/working-for-a-dating-website
- taigeair 6y agoWe created a dating app that tries to address this. We leverage an entrance fee to reduce that conflict of interest. Once someone pays the entrance fee, we have little incentive to keep them single and looking. We actually want them to go on dates and make a margin on the dates we book. https://stories.fairytrail.app/reinventing-the-online-dating-business-model-together/ https://stories.fairytrail.app/reinventing-the-online-dating...
- mandelbrotwurst 6y agoSomeone who is booking dates through an app is single and looking.
- renewiltord 6y agoIf you make a margin on dates you book then isn't your optimal strategy to get people on dates that won't turn into relationships? That way they keep booking dates? The sign up fee makes sense. The per-date margin seems to be diametrically opposed.
- jaggirs 6y agoStill, it is an incentive to create dating opportunities. And what kind of date would not result in a relationship, but make you want to go on another date? It would need to be good and bad at the same time. Maybe a good date with the wrong person.. It sounds really hard to exploit this.
- dkersten 6y agoIt incentivises setting up a lot of dates, but with the wrong people.
- jaggirs 6y agoYes, that is what I said.
- imtringued 6y agoIt can also make money off of setting you up with the right people.
- 737maxtw 6y agoDating apps can't solve everything. The upshot of this however is that, if you are being honest in your profile, these things are things that you want to do anyway. If you still take the effort to talk to the person before going on a booked trip, it should be an experience you will enjoy. Of course, things can go wrong. But part of any relationship is taking that risk. I don't think this is a silver bullet, no, but I think it is a pretty good framework for people who are in a good place to find in a healthy relationship. I.e. comfortable and honest with themselves and looking for a partner to enrich their lives rather than just seeking 'a relationship' (i.e. trying to fill some other void in themselves).
- dkersten 6y agoOk yeah, that sounds reasonable.
- Liquid_Fire 6y agoIt incentivizes the website to match you with people you are not actually compatible with, so that you keep going on dates to find someone you actually like. (Maybe not repeatedly, since you might stop using the website, but at least the first few times)
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- dkdk8283 6y agoI worked for dating sites way back too. We hired backpackers in english speaking countries to message people from fake accounts to get them to sign up and pay.
- minikomi 6y agoThis is called "Sakura" in Japan, and it's a huge business.
- greggman3 6y agoYes and no. If there was a service that actually worked better than the others it would quickly get a rep and the scammier ones would lose.