A rumble from Bumble is in the offing. This is the dating app founded by Whitney Wolfe Herd that we wrote about way back in May 2018. CLICK HERE TO REFRESH YOUR MEMORY.
This bee means business – art courtesy of the Financial Times
We described Whitney as being young, rich and smart. This is pretty accurate if one is on the cover of Fortune magazine with the headline, “The $1 Billion Queen Bee of Dating Apps” in an issue labeled 30 Under 30.
Since she’s hitting the ripe old age of 30 this year it’s time to check in and see what’s happening at Bumble. To review quickly, this app was launched in 2014 as a dating app where women make the first move.
NOW BUMBLE IS PUSHING INTO NETWORKING
It’s now offering a service where users can swipe right for BUSINESS relationships. Frankly, I think this makes a lot of sense. On Bumble Bizz, users have separate profiles from their dating accounts. This is where they can describe their intentions: looking to mentor, to partner, to invest.
A Financial Times article written by Hannah Kuchler that appeared on 9/9/18 gives an example of how this can work. A creative individual named Evan Honer was looking for someone to direct a play he was putting on at the Hollywood Fringe Festival – so he decided to check out Bumble Bizz.
He connected with Liisa Evastina, an actress running a film-development company in Los Angeles, and convinced her to try her hand at directing. The pair launched The Actor’s Nightmare by Christopher Durang – and both are still using Bumble Bizz to build their list of contacts. “LinkedIn,” he adds, “doesn’t feel personal. People seem to collect contacts like they would stamps. Bumble is a more interesting experience.”
BUMBLE BIZ OFFERS AN ECLECTIC MIX
For example: (1) An entrepreneur is looking to hire for her women’s health start-up, (2) a vegan influencer is interested in a partnership with a photographer and (3) a publicist is focusing on new client contacts.
So we’re blending the very personal with the strictly professional? How can this idea work in the real world?
A KINDER INTERNET, A SAFE SPACE ONLINE
The chief brand officer, Alex Williamson, at Bumble explains their approach. At Bumble the founder has created rules to prevent the app from becoming seedy. This includes: (a) no shirtless selfies, (b) no hate speech, and (c) no posing with guns. WHAT! Apparently, this is a common seduction tactic aimed at Southern sororities.
Also at Bumble, the dating app does not interact with the networking service. There is also a separate service for meeting friends called, Bumble BFF.
The company is entering the field of networking because it has specialized in creating “walled gardens” or areas where people are clear about their intentions. Google and Facebook want to be everything to everyone, no matter where they are in the world or what their intentions.
Bottom line: creating well-policed enclaves can help create the relationships we want – whether it’s for love or money. Personally, I think it sounds absolutely terrific and I wish them all the success in the world.
Shaun Nelson-Henrick
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