7 ms·

Group Matchmaking Startup The Dating Ring (YC W14) Launches In San Francisco

50 points by laurenkay 13y ago

angersock 13y ago
Would anybody be interested in a dating site for makers/programmers? Like, you work on solving a small or fun problem together while chatting? EDIT: I've had several "dates" I've gone on that have devolved into business rather quickly, and I know several friends that have gone to hackathons expecting to hack and instead have to deal with romantic advances (not unexpected, but still distracting). It'd be nice to explicitly set content-type ahead of time so everyone knows what to expect.
- laurenkay 13y ago
  This is something we've considered doing (and that a few dating companies have tried in the past). It can be hard logistically to coordinate for compatibility, scheduling and similar interests, with a reasonable price point. On the other hand, doing activities like this can make for much more successful dates. So it's something we're thinking about adding on over time, once we have a big enough pool.
  - angersock 13y ago
    Oh, I'm not talking about anything crazy like in-person meetings. MVP would be a prompt ("How do would you implement a Valentine's Day card?") and matching service (W4M seeking Angular expert), and then links to a shared code editor with chat screen--could even use somebody else's product. Minimal buildout. Way too easy to overthink this product.
- jeremyt 13y ago
  I guess I'm just puzzled at the entire idea. How many people out there have as their top concern that the person that they would like to meet for dating is also a programmer?
  - angersock 13y ago
    So, first, not claiming this would be for everyone, obviously. Not necessarily programmer--notice that originally the spec was maker/programmers...extend to diy folks in general. That said, it's a lot easier to livecode together than to meet up and weld art things, so, you know, start small, MVP. The rough idea is that if you like making stuff, from scratch, you probably get along better with other people that like to make stuff. Maybe it's because they aren't as consumery as most of America, maybe it's because they can talk shop with you, maybe it's because of all the weird sociopsychoemotional baggage/metaphor of getting together with a potential partner and "creating" something--who knows. Additionally, it gives you a feeling for how somebody thinks, how they talk, and to be somewhat blunt performs a high-pass filter on socioeconomic factors, intelligence, and communication ability. Later, agreeable people can take it offline to see if they're any good at fscking in person.
- dandroid17 13y ago
  Please tell me where I can go to a hackathon and deal with romantic advances
  - w1ntermute 13y ago
    The "friends" OP mentions are probably women. It's less to do with the particular hackathon and more to do with their gender.
    - angersock 13y ago
      The idea of a couples hackathon...wow, that would probably end well.
- ashraful 13y ago
  I actually created a site that pairs up hackers for lunch. Currently its only for hackers in SF. Check it out: http://hackerlunch.com/ http://hackerlunch.com/
- zxcvvcxz 13y ago
  Somehow I think there would be a supply and demand imbalance.
  - thaumasiotes 13y ago
    That's not exactly an unusual problem for dating sites.
vj44 13y ago
What's the difference between The Dating Ring and Grouper? The article suggests a more "personalized" match making, but it seems to me that both use a combination of human input & some algorithms.
- elecengin 13y ago
  You don't know anyone on Dating Ring dates - compared to Grouper, where you are going with a couple friends. I have been on a few Dating Ring dates and I have found that the human input does help - it filters out people that make for truly horrible dates. Unfortunately, those horrible experiences are relatively common on platforms like Grouper and regular online dating.
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]
  - hiphopyo 13y ago
    You're gonna get human input the minute the two of you meet anyway, so you might as well cut out the middleman and save a few bucks.
MyNameIsMK 13y ago
Have you even built the product yet? All I see are a few embed forms and zero information or screenshots on the product...
enewc 13y ago
I doubt this will succeed. The pricing is enough to turn away most potential users and the remaining users won't generate enough income to sustain the company, especially if they meet everyone in person.
- elecengin 13y ago
  In NYC even an affordable first date costs around $25-$50. (2-4 cocktails/drinks at a semi-nice place at $10-$18 each) Paying an extra $20 to make that experience less volatile in terms of quality is not that outrageous. Whether this will be enough to sustain the company I have no idea...
hiphopyo 13y ago
Are all these new age dating sites / apps really that much better than Craigslist? I understand people want to make money, but I've had it up to here hearing about a new "next big thing in dating" every damn day!
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
- taber 13y ago
  My perspective is that the value they bring is their brand to make the whole process seem more safe. It's the same essential value proposition that AirBnB makes: "we'll be your guide through this otherwise sketchy territory"
  - hiphopyo 13y ago
    Interesting take!
- rhizome 13y ago
  Are all these new age dating sites / apps really that much better than Craigslist? Um, sort of? I think the only differences between any two dating sites are vetting and marketing-image. Craigslist has very little of either, and something like Eharmony has a lot of both. Both of them are niches within the larger dating-industry morass.
  - hiphopyo 13y ago
    Good point. But isn't Craigslist's lack of vetting a good thing (1)? They're already giving out plenty of safety advice (2). 1. http://chrishateswriting.com/post/76431353368/the-anonymity-i-know http://chrishateswriting.com/post/76431353368/the-anonymity-... 2. http://craigslist.org/about/safety http://craigslist.org/about/safety
    - rhizome 13y ago
      But isn't Craigslist's lack of vetting a good thing (1)? It depends on who's trying to use it. Some people simply prefer a more curated experience.
slvv 13y ago
The article notes that dates involve 3 men and 3 women. Is this intended primarily for straight people, then?
- ptnapoleon 13y ago
  Unlike grouper it does not appear that any of the parties knew each other in advance. So if my understanding is correct, the two same-sex individuals you are matched with are also potential partners.
  - jaredsohn 13y ago
    The other response is better. If it worked this way, you were gay, and the other two people of your gender were straight, you'd wouldn't have any potential matches there.
- inspectahdeck 13y ago
  "we personally match you with other lovely Dating Ring members (groups of 3 men and 3 women, or 4 members for gay groups) and act as your personal dating concierge" [0] [0] http://thedatingring.com/faq http://thedatingring.com/faq
gavanwoolery 13y ago
I had a "pretty good" idea for a dating site, anyone feel free to "steal" it. It would set up about 6-8 guys/girls in a group dinner (no one would choose who they group with, but it would be picked by admins on the dating site). This relieves the pressure of one on one dating, and makes it feel a bit more natural and less awkward. I'm sure something like this must exist already though.
- dshanahan 13y ago
  Grouper?
  - goeric 13y ago
    The difference in @gavanwoolery's idea is that you don't bring any friends. The whole group is curated. Which is different from Grouper, but basically the same as the company OP linked to.
    - gavanwoolery 13y ago
      My mistake - I misread the OP as implying that the three dates between the guys and girls were one-on-one -- so yeah basically the same idea as the OP.
- asnyder 13y ago
  OkCupid already does this with events.
- Ancorehraq 13y ago
  Too late: http://www.tableforsix.com/ http://www.tableforsix.com/
ph4 13y ago
What the heck is with that logo?
ulfw 13y ago
From the FAQ: "The initial matchmaker meeting costs $25 (and is free for everyone initially while we launch in SF) and dates cost $20. It's a real steal. " Oh it's a steal alright...
gum_ina_package 13y ago
"There are better things to waste your time on. Like Facebook. Or Twitter. Or porn." The last bit seems off putting to me. I thought the site looked very professional and the concept seemed like it could facilitate more meaningful connections, but seeing that puts all those first impressions in peril to me.
kimagure 13y ago
the logo looks almost exactly like the scala-lang logo
happy4crazy 13y ago
Here's what I want: "Study Grouper". Grouper but you go do something educational, e.g. a wine class, cooking class, dance class, amateur astronomy class, painting class...
- bobbles 13y ago
  Meetup.com would probably do what you're looking for

50 points by laurenkay 13y ago

Would anybody be interested in a dating site for makers/programmers? Like, you work on solving a small or fun problem together while chatting? EDIT: I've had several "dates" I've gone on that have devolved into business rather quickly, and I know several friends that have gone to hackathons expecting to hack and instead have to deal with romantic advances (not unexpected, but still distracting). It'd be nice to explicitly set content-type ahead of time so everyone knows what to expect.

laurenkay 13y ago
This is something we've considered doing (and that a few dating companies have tried in the past). It can be hard logistically to coordinate for compatibility, scheduling and similar interests, with a reasonable price point. On the other hand, doing activities like this can make for much more successful dates. So it's something we're thinking about adding on over time, once we have a big enough pool.
- angersock 13y ago
  Oh, I'm not talking about anything crazy like in-person meetings. MVP would be a prompt ("How do would you implement a Valentine's Day card?") and matching service (W4M seeking Angular expert), and then links to a shared code editor with chat screen--could even use somebody else's product. Minimal buildout. Way too easy to overthink this product.
jeremyt 13y ago
I guess I'm just puzzled at the entire idea. How many people out there have as their top concern that the person that they would like to meet for dating is also a programmer?
- angersock 13y ago
  So, first, not claiming this would be for everyone, obviously. Not necessarily programmer--notice that originally the spec was maker/programmers...extend to diy folks in general. That said, it's a lot easier to livecode together than to meet up and weld art things, so, you know, start small, MVP. The rough idea is that if you like making stuff, from scratch, you probably get along better with other people that like to make stuff. Maybe it's because they aren't as consumery as most of America, maybe it's because they can talk shop with you, maybe it's because of all the weird sociopsychoemotional baggage/metaphor of getting together with a potential partner and "creating" something--who knows. Additionally, it gives you a feeling for how somebody thinks, how they talk, and to be somewhat blunt performs a high-pass filter on socioeconomic factors, intelligence, and communication ability. Later, agreeable people can take it offline to see if they're any good at fscking in person.
dandroid17 13y ago
Please tell me where I can go to a hackathon and deal with romantic advances
- w1ntermute 13y ago
  The "friends" OP mentions are probably women. It's less to do with the particular hackathon and more to do with their gender.
  - angersock 13y ago
    The idea of a couples hackathon...wow, that would probably end well.
ashraful 13y ago
I actually created a site that pairs up hackers for lunch. Currently its only for hackers in SF. Check it out: http://hackerlunch.com/ http://hackerlunch.com/
zxcvvcxz 13y ago
Somehow I think there would be a supply and demand imbalance.
- thaumasiotes 13y ago
  That's not exactly an unusual problem for dating sites.

vj44 13y ago

What's the difference between The Dating Ring and Grouper? The article suggests a more "personalized" match making, but it seems to me that both use a combination of human input & some algorithms.

elecengin 13y ago
You don't know anyone on Dating Ring dates - compared to Grouper, where you are going with a couple friends. I have been on a few Dating Ring dates and I have found that the human input does help - it filters out people that make for truly horrible dates. Unfortunately, those horrible experiences are relatively common on platforms like Grouper and regular online dating.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
- hiphopyo 13y ago
  You're gonna get human input the minute the two of you meet anyway, so you might as well cut out the middleman and save a few bucks.

MyNameIsMK 13y ago

Have you even built the product yet? All I see are a few embed forms and zero information or screenshots on the product...

enewc 13y ago

I doubt this will succeed. The pricing is enough to turn away most potential users and the remaining users won't generate enough income to sustain the company, especially if they meet everyone in person.

elecengin 13y ago
In NYC even an affordable first date costs around $25-$50. (2-4 cocktails/drinks at a semi-nice place at $10-$18 each) Paying an extra $20 to make that experience less volatile in terms of quality is not that outrageous. Whether this will be enough to sustain the company I have no idea...

hiphopyo 13y ago

Are all these new age dating sites / apps really that much better than Craigslist? I understand people want to make money, but I've had it up to here hearing about a new "next big thing in dating" every damn day!

deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
taber 13y ago
My perspective is that the value they bring is their brand to make the whole process seem more safe. It's the same essential value proposition that AirBnB makes: "we'll be your guide through this otherwise sketchy territory"
- hiphopyo 13y ago
  Interesting take!
rhizome 13y ago
Are all these new age dating sites / apps really that much better than Craigslist? Um, sort of? I think the only differences between any two dating sites are vetting and marketing-image. Craigslist has very little of either, and something like Eharmony has a lot of both. Both of them are niches within the larger dating-industry morass.
- hiphopyo 13y ago
  Good point. But isn't Craigslist's lack of vetting a good thing (1)? They're already giving out plenty of safety advice (2). 1. http://chrishateswriting.com/post/76431353368/the-anonymity-i-know http://chrishateswriting.com/post/76431353368/the-anonymity-... 2. http://craigslist.org/about/safety http://craigslist.org/about/safety
  - rhizome 13y ago
    But isn't Craigslist's lack of vetting a good thing (1)? It depends on who's trying to use it. Some people simply prefer a more curated experience.

slvv 13y ago

The article notes that dates involve 3 men and 3 women. Is this intended primarily for straight people, then?

ptnapoleon 13y ago
Unlike grouper it does not appear that any of the parties knew each other in advance. So if my understanding is correct, the two same-sex individuals you are matched with are also potential partners.
- jaredsohn 13y ago
  The other response is better. If it worked this way, you were gay, and the other two people of your gender were straight, you'd wouldn't have any potential matches there.
inspectahdeck 13y ago
"we personally match you with other lovely Dating Ring members (groups of 3 men and 3 women, or 4 members for gay groups) and act as your personal dating concierge" [0] [0] http://thedatingring.com/faq http://thedatingring.com/faq

gavanwoolery 13y ago

I had a "pretty good" idea for a dating site, anyone feel free to "steal" it. It would set up about 6-8 guys/girls in a group dinner (no one would choose who they group with, but it would be picked by admins on the dating site). This relieves the pressure of one on one dating, and makes it feel a bit more natural and less awkward. I'm sure something like this must exist already though.

dshanahan 13y ago
Grouper?
- goeric 13y ago
  The difference in @gavanwoolery's idea is that you don't bring any friends. The whole group is curated. Which is different from Grouper, but basically the same as the company OP linked to.
  - gavanwoolery 13y ago
    My mistake - I misread the OP as implying that the three dates between the guys and girls were one-on-one -- so yeah basically the same idea as the OP.
asnyder 13y ago
OkCupid already does this with events.
Ancorehraq 13y ago
Too late: http://www.tableforsix.com/ http://www.tableforsix.com/

ph4 13y ago

What the heck is with that logo?

ulfw 13y ago

From the FAQ: "The initial matchmaker meeting costs $25 (and is free for everyone initially while we launch in SF) and dates cost $20. It's a real steal. " Oh it's a steal alright...

gum_ina_package 13y ago

"There are better things to waste your time on. Like Facebook. Or Twitter. Or porn." The last bit seems off putting to me. I thought the site looked very professional and the concept seemed like it could facilitate more meaningful connections, but seeing that puts all those first impressions in peril to me.

kimagure 13y ago

the logo looks almost exactly like the scala-lang logo

happy4crazy 13y ago

Here's what I want: "Study Grouper". Grouper but you go do something educational, e.g. a wine class, cooking class, dance class, amateur astronomy class, painting class...

bobbles 13y ago
Meetup.com would probably do what you're looking for