The Dating App Growth Delusion

Building and launching dating apps has become a popular pursuit for tech entrepreneurs, especially those in their 20s. However, the reality is that dating products are notoriously difficult to grow. This is because users need to be “in-market” and often prefer to keep their online dating activities discreet from their friends. This article provides valuable insights from Aaron Schildkrout, co-founder of HowAboutWe, a dating app acquired by IAC. Aaron shares his experiences and offers guidance on crafting realistic growth strategies, emphasizing the need to avoid delusional thinking.

The Magic of Dating App Growth

Schildkrout highlights the tendency for early-stage dating app founders to rely on magical thinking, believing in quick and easy viral growth, press coverage, business development, and content marketing. While these strategies might contribute to growth, they are often overestimated and fail to deliver the desired results.

• Virality: True viral growth in the dating app market is rare, typically achieved by apps with a focus on casual encounters, often using aggressive tactics such as spamming email address books.
• Press: While positive press coverage can generate a temporary boost, it is unlikely to drive significant long-term growth, especially for established apps.
• Business Development: Partnering with other companies for cross-promotion often underestimates the traffic-driving potential of partners, particularly smaller venues.
• Content: Content marketing can enhance brand awareness, but it is rarely a primary source of user acquisition unless content is the core product.
• SEO: SEO is not a viable strategy for attracting users to a dating app.

PainMath: A Reality Check for Dating App Growth

Schildkrout proposes a practical exercise called "PainMath" to counter delusional thinking about dating app growth. PainMath involves:

• Defining a clear, quantifiable measure of success, such as reaching an annual revenue run rate of $10 million or a user base of 10 million.
• Identifying the sources of user acquisition, including conversion rates at each stage of the funnel and virality coefficients.
• Adjusting predictions by reducing projected conversion rates by 50% and eliminating or minimizing reliance on "organic" traffic sources.
• Realistically assessing virality coefficients, understanding that coefficients exceeding 0.3% are likely unrealistic.
• Repeating this exercise consistently and comparing predicted results to actual performance.

The Dating App Growth Strategy: Beyond Magic

Schildkrout emphasizes that while blind faith is detrimental, a certain level of belief in magic is essential for success. This magic lies in crafting a truly compelling product that users love. While other growth strategies might contribute, the core driver of sustainable growth is creating a product that fosters deep user engagement and loyalty.

Examples of Dating App Success: Finding the Magic

Schildkrout provides examples of successful dating apps that have achieved significant growth by finding their magic:

• Instagram: The magic of Instagram lies in its ability to transform everyday people into artists, aligning with a widespread desire to express creativity.
• HowAboutWe: The magic of HowAboutWe was in shifting the focus from profiles to activities, encouraging real-world interactions and fostering a sense of romance.
• Tinder: The magic of Tinder lies in its simple, addictive swipe-based matching system, which promotes instant gratification and connection.

Key Takeaways for Dating App Growth

The article emphasizes several key takeaways for dating app founders:

• Avoid delusional thinking about growth strategies and embrace realistic assessments.
• Focus on creating a truly engaging product that users love, as this is the foundation of sustainable growth.
• Use data-driven analysis and continuous measurement to track performance and adjust strategies accordingly.
• While magic is a key ingredient in success, it must be grounded in realistic expectations and validated by data.