New Dating App Whim Cuts Straight To The Date
Contributed by: ElyseRomano on Thursday, September 10 2015 @ 06:54 am
Last modified on
Every online dater has been there: stuck in an endless exchange of messages. When the end finally comes, it almost always happens one of two ways.
Option one: you meet in person, realize you're not at all compatible, and are furious about how much time you wasted on pointless messages. Option two: you never even get to that point. Someone just ghosts and the conversation is over by default.
Rarely does it end with option three: you meet, click instantly, and ride off into the proverbial sunset together
A new dating app is hoping to spare you some of that trouble. Whim[*1] promises to cut to the chase and set up actual dates - with "no endless texting" and "no flakes or fakes."
The process is exactly as simple as it sounds. Users create profiles and then specify which days they're free to go on a date. The date can be any night of the current week or a recurring weekly evening. After that, users browse profiles and indicate who they are interested in meeting.
When two users express interest in each other, Whim automatically sets up a time and place for the date, based on your availability and preferences (a user who doesn't drink, for example, won't be sent to a bar). Users can message each other about logistics, but it isn't required.
OkCupid alum Eve Peters started the venture two years ago. She told TechCrunch[*2] that Whim “surveyed the users of online dating apps and found that matches resulted in dates less than 10 percent of the time.” In contrast, matches on Whim resulted in dates more than 90 percent of the time.
The idea has its perks. Whim requires only a small time investment, which is increasingly important to users. It also guarantees that, when someone matches with you, they're actually looking to go on a date. A right swipe is a meaningful action on Whim and users have to think more seriously before they do it.
The idea also has its downsides. Those who are concerned with safety may not take to Whim's insta-date premise. For them, messaging before a meeting is an important part of the getting-to-know-you process – a filter for creeps, weirdo's, and other undesirables.
To counteract those concerns, Whim's dates all take place in public places. Peters also says the service relies on “high human touch” to ensure safety. All profiles are read by Whim team members, and users are encouraged to give post-date feedback so anyone objectionable can be removed.
The service is currently free and available only in the San Francisco Bay Area. Peters said she plans to charge $10 a month and launch in a second city by the end of the year. You can download the iOS app here[*3] . An Android version is expected in 2016.