Sneaky Algorithms, Video Calls, and Dick Pics: Secrets From a Dating App Founder
Frustrated by her own experience as a busy person giving up precious weeknights to unsuccessful dates, Forbes 30 Under 30 winner(Opens in a new window) Lizz Warner founded Gleam(Opens in a new window) in 2019. In a billion-dollar industry crowded with dating apps, Warner sought to create a more productive experience for her users by leaning into video chatting.
With Gleam, users uploaded their availability for dates into the app. Upon receiving a match, the algorithm automatically scheduled a 10-minute video chat when both parties are available, in a bid to get straight to the most meaningful human connection, as soon as possible. If you matched, the app unlocked texting, which avoided the unsavory experience of texting a stranger for days, weeks, or even months before the conversation dies off without a meeting.
"I wanted to create a true dating app, not a texting app," Warner said.
In just a few years, Warner built Gleam from scratch, saw couples who met on the app get engaged, and sold her company to an up-and-coming app with a similar mission called FROME(Opens in a new window), founded by Joe Feminella in July 2022. Gleam was previously available in Los Angeles and New York, but for now it’s offline while it merges into FROME, which is available on iOS(Opens in a new window) and Android(Opens in a new window).
Warner already founded her next startup, video-editing software PopCut(Opens in a new window). But before she exits the dating industry, she gave us the inside scoop on how dating apps work and what the secret sauce is to finding a successful match in the seemingly endless game of online dating.
PCMag: What do you feel like the most successful daters on your app were doing? What did their profiles look like,
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