Playing with Love to $10M: SeekingArrangement Founder Brandon Wade (Part 7)

Sramana: You are not trying to convince a professor, you are running a $10 million business. You can do whatever you want to do. From a business point of view, what is compelling is navigating the social science opportunity. Let’s say you have a man who gets 10 dates. What tools can you give him to navigate through his 10 dates to help him find out whom he really is compatible with?

Brandon Wade: What you have touched on is quite interesting. That is the true dilemma of most dating websites. If you are successful at matching people fairly quickly, that means you are going to make less money from them. At the end of the day, you are looking at a monthly subscription fee. The longer they stay on your website, the more likely they are to pay you. It is a tricky point.

Sramana: I take your point. However, if you do not create value, people are going to go away unless you are trying to create a site only for people to date without the intention of creating a match. You know the demographics of your client base far better than I do. It could very well be a recreation dating site where men are just looking for dates.

Brandon Wade: We cater to all types in the dating pool. We are looking at people who want to find a serious relationship. We also cater to people who are looking for a more casual relationship.

Sramana: Do you know what percentage of your audience is looking for casual dating and what percentage for serious relationships?

Brandon Wade: It is about 50/50.

Sramana: What percentages of the men are looking for casual relationships rather than a serious relationship?

Brandon Wade: A recent survey shows that 80% of the men on any dating website are looking for something casual.

Sramana: That makes sense to me because if I were a rich man, I would be wary of trying to find a life partner in this community. I would go on dates and have fun, but I would be very cautious about finding a life partner in a place like this.

Brandon Wade: That is true. It is very strange, though, you never know where you will meet your life partner. That is what the dating experience is about. Love is a magical thing that is hard to contain. I think people should just go date. The more people you meet, the more you will understand who you are and what you want.

Sramana: There is a lot of structure and science to it, not just randomness. There is a finite way in which people meet other compatible people. You have just applied a filter for successful men.

Brandon Wade: A psychologist would probably tell me that what you are saying is correct.

Sramana: There could be mismatched expectations where the women are probably coming in with a set of expectations that the men probably don’t share.

Brandon Wade: Social dynamics are funny, that’s for sure.

Sramana: I find what you are doing to be funny, entertaining, and amusing. I am a feminist, but I am not offended by what you are doing. Congratulations on your success!

This segment is part 7 in the series : Playing with Love to $10M: SeekingArrangement Founder Brandon Wade
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