3 ms·
http://ycombinator.com/ideas.html http://ycombinator.com/ideas.html "8. Dating. Current dating sites are not the last word. Better ones will appear. But anyone
by blauwbilgorgel 13y ago
http://ycombinator.com/ideas.html http://ycombinator.com/ideas.html
"8. Dating. Current dating sites are not the last word. Better ones will appear. But anyone who wants to start a dating startup has to answer two questions: in addition to the usual question about how you're going to approach dating differently, you have to answer the even more important question of how to overcome the huge chicken and egg problem every dating site faces. A site like Reddit is interesting when there are only 20 users. But no one wants to use a dating site with only 20 users—which of course becomes a self-perpetuating problem. So if you want to do a dating startup, don't focus on the novel take on dating that you're going to offer. That's the easy half. Focus on novel ways to get around the chicken and egg problem."
To overcome network effects, such as in dating sites, the following can be used:
- Leverage an existing network (ie: Facebook).
- Partner with an existing network (ie: target niche users of a dating site)
- Do not make it look/feel like a dating site, but gradually grow into it, or keep dating as an aside functionality to finding or hanging out with like-minded people (much like a bar).
- Seed the dating site with fake or paid users (seedy, but practical).
- Give free or low-threshold access to either the chickens or the eggs. A dating site that is free for women or offers different functionality.
- Hustle your early users. Make friends and family use it.
- Making it useful for online marketeers, exclusive invite only, or the "place to be" by attracting famous people.
- karamazov 13y agoHustling your early users is a great idea - I'd put this at the top of the list. Planning to grow into something else is dangerous, though. To paraphrase Peter Thiel, you should be wary of building a startup that's a two-stage rocket. If the first stage works, you can and should stick with it; if it doesn't, you'll never make it to stage two.
- dustingetz 13y agoSomeone good enough to execute a two stage startup on purpose (Bezos, Musk) are not relying on luck as compared to the rest of SV startup lottery. I think many of the young and arrogant "kid CEOs" would be better off in the long run by overcoming their ego, go and hustle the smartest mature CEO they can find into hiring them. Defer taking your own risks until you are actually in control of them.
- austenallred 13y agoIt's interesting that Reddit was used as an example of a site that doesn't have a chicken and egg problem. Reddit admittedly seeded the beginning with fake users.
- t0 13y agoWhat about "launching"? Once you have several thousand emails collected, start setting up dates all at once, avoiding the chicken and egg problem.
- stfu 13y agoI would also add to that list - target a very narrow, undeserved market and when successful expand beyond the core market (ie: Craigslist and its local focus)
- erichurkman 13y agoSo long as you have smart ways of targeting that narrow, underserved market at a reasonable price.