{"id":6247,"date":"2015-12-09T21:13:47","date_gmt":"2015-12-10T02:13:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/lets-get-it-online-tawkify-dating-concierge\/"},"modified":"2015-12-09T21:13:47","modified_gmt":"2015-12-10T02:13:47","slug":"lets-get-it-online-tawkify-dating-concierge","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/lets-get-it-online-tawkify-dating-concierge\/","title":{"rendered":"Let\u2019s Get It On(line): Tawkify Dating Concierge"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cMaybe the best date I’ve had in a few years. No joke. I really appreciate the work and care Kate put in for this match.\u201d \u2013Tawkify customer<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

Online dating today often happens one of three unpleasant ways. <\/span><\/p>\n

1) Endless swiping or scrolling in a digital meat market, send out 60 messages, a few reply, and finally a date after a couple of weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

2) Inundation of messages, out of which you\u2019d pick one who doesn\u2019t look like a serial killer, followed by messaging ping pong, and finally a date. <\/span><\/p>\n

3) Endless swiping, roster of creeps, immediate account deactivation out of frustration. Silver lining: assurance that you’re normal.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the date, maybe it doesn\u2019t go so well. Maybe he looks nothing like his photo. So you surreptitiously text\u00a0the\u00a0guy that you\u2019ve putting on the backburner. It can be exhausting.<\/span><\/p>\n

This trend led to the founding of Tawkify, a matchmaking company for the digital age founded by an unlikely pair \u2013 a 70 year-old sex advice columnist and a 30 year-old tech entrepreneur who earned his stripes at Microsoft. <\/span><\/p>\n

BUSINESS MODEL<\/b><\/p>\n

Tawkify provides a high touch dating experience for its users, giving them quality matches and unique dates with minimal investment by the user. Clients enjoy more privacy than sites where their profiles are publicly browsable while saving stress, effort, and time. In return, the firm charges a monthly subscription.<\/span><\/p>\n

OPERATING MODEL<\/b><\/p>\n

In many ways, the company bridges the best of the two founder\u2019s worlds: one that may value old fashioned personal connection with one that sees the tremendous promise of technology.<\/span><\/p>\n

1) Hire and train a network of high quality matchmakers<\/b><\/p>\n

At the heart of the company is a network of matchmakers hired and trained by co-founder E. Jean Carroll, whose popular dating advice column in Elle Magazine is the longest running magazine column in the country. <\/span><\/p>\n

Carroll\u2019s deep expertise in dating gives the company a competitive edge, and they sustain it by creating a network from the matchmakers. If a matchmaker finds someone that\u2019s a better fit for a teammate\u2019s client, she would pass on the contact. Once a week, the firm gets all matchmakers together on a video conference dubbed Tawkify Cafe, where they help each other improve by sharing news, success stories, and strategies.<\/span><\/p>\n

2) Use technology to enable client experience and matchmaker efficiency<\/b><\/p>\n

To screen clients, the startup hired Microsoft and Stanford engineers to build a simple and clear web experience that clients have come to expect of consumer internet companies today.<\/span><\/p>\n

For the matchmakers, Tawkify built search and database technologies to help them collaborate and find the best match from their database. In addition, the company built a customer relationship management (CRM) tool to help matchmakers keep track of client dates and preferences.<\/span><\/p>\n

3) Provide a concierge service<\/b><\/p>\n

By studying successful startups\u2019 onboarding processes, Tawkify designed a simple and engaging onboarding experience. <\/span><\/p>\n

Clients first sign up for the service and answer ten questions on the Tawkify website. If they pass the initial screen then they meet with their matchmaker in person to talk about ex-boyfriends, favorite dates, and dating preferences. Along the way, clients receive a high touch service. The matchmaker searches through the company database, reaches out to personal networks, and goes out to meet people \u2013 one found a great guy at a stand-up paddleboarding meetup.<\/p>\n

The matchmaker then schedules and plans a unique date. For one client\u2019s first date, Tawkify set up an appointment at Tiffany\u2019s and instructed the two strangers to pretend to register for their wedding together.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before and after each date, the matchmaker also offers advice, coaching, and follow-ups to find out what worked and what didn\u2019t work.<\/span><\/p>\n

4) Capturing value with a simple subscription model<\/b><\/p>\n

For all the work, the company charges about $600 a month \u2013\u00a0hefty compared to online dating sites that usually charge less than $100 a month, but not so much compared to the tens of thousands that a traditional matchmaker might charge.<\/span><\/p>\n

And the model is working, as the site boasts tens of thousands of clients. More importantly as a measure of engagement, 81% of clients go on a second date with matches. One client gushed, \u201cAw, come on. [My matchmaker] Angie is great. I keep subscribing. I recommend others because Angie’s so real. I feel like she’s really in my corner.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

Tawkify\u2019s technology and processes align with their value proposition to create an effective operation. In this way, it has made traditional matchmaking more efficient while retaining the charm of an offline experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Sources:<\/span><\/p>\n

Ansari, Aziz. <\/span>Modern Romance: An Investigation.<\/span><\/i> London: Penguin, 2015. Print.<\/span><\/p>\n

Benedict, Mallory. “What It’s REALLY Like To Be A Professional Matchmaker.” Refinery29. N.p., 26 Aug. 2014. <\/span><\/p>\n

“E. Jean Carroll.” <\/span>Wikipedia<\/span><\/i>. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

“FAQ.” <\/span>Tawkify<\/span><\/i>. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jolly, Jennifer. “TECH NOW: Look for Love Online with New Apps.” <\/span>USA Today<\/span><\/i>. N.p., 14 Feb. 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lange, Maggie. “My Blind Date at Tiffany’s.” <\/span>New York Magazine<\/span><\/i>. 11 Sept. 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n

McGowan, Emma. “Singles Tired of Swiping Paying $600\/mo for a “Dating Concierge”” The Bold Italic. 4 Feb. 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shaw, Kenneth. Personal interview. 7 Dec 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stone, Madeline. “A 72-year-old Advice Columnist Launched a Matchmaking Service out of Stanford’s Startup Accelerator.” Business Insider. 04 Feb. 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

“What People Are Saying.” <\/span>Tawkify<\/span><\/i>. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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