A new dating service that blends algorithms with human matchmakers just launched in Seattle.
Three Day Rule (TDR) expanded to its tenth city as the 5-year-old company aims to help singles meet their match.
There are already a flurry of tech-fueled dating services available, from traditional sites like Match.com to mobile-focused apps like Tinder and Bumble. Even Facebook this week announced that it is adding dating profiles and features to the social media platform.
Each platform offers their own take — for example, The League, a VC-backed startup that launched in Seattle last year, scrutinizes a candidate’s education, career, and “ambition.”
TDR is different because of its hybrid approach, combining technology with in-person vetting, said Talia Goldstein, who founded the company in 2013.
“We meet all of our matches in person, so we’re making curated introductions based on off-paper qualities rather than on-paper stats,” she explained. “We’re able to make introductions between two people who might normally swipe right past each other on an app based on something as trivial as height or age range, which allows for a ton of new opportunities.”
Anyone can sign up to become part of TDR’s database, which includes 100,000 members, and be eligible to be matched to paying clients. A paid membership starts at $4,500 for a three-month package and includes vetted matches, professional photography, post-date feedback, and coaching.
Goldstein explains the process in detail here:
“We start off by using a proprietary matching algorithm to recommend a list of top potential matches in our database for each client. Then, our matchmakers review each of the top contenders and curate the ones that they think would be the best matches for our clients and vet them in person. After the in-person vetting process, our matchmakers will only introduce the most compatible matches to our clients. After each date, our matchmaker will gather post-date feedback from both parties to determine how the date went and share valuable insights with our client.”
Los Angeles-based TDR has raised $2.4 million to date. Match Group, which operates Tinder, OkCupid, and other dating services, led an initial investment in TDR in 2014. That helped TDR get access to more singles via strategic partnerships with Match Group’s properties.
Goldstein said TDR doubled revenue in 2017 and has more than 50 matchmakers nationwide, including two in Seattle.
In Seattle, TDR is using the “Seattle Freeze” in its marketing material, alluding to the city’s reputation for being cold or closed off to outsiders. It’s something that The League also noted when it launched in Seattle last year.
“We get that ‘The Seattle Freeze’ is real,” Goldstein said in a press release. “So, we’re thrilled to expand our business to include Seattle, a special city with some of our country’s most creative, intelligent and active singles. Our team is ready to work with singles here who feel overwhelmed by the traditional methods of dating and are looking to outsource their dating lives.”
TDR also recently rolled out its own Alexa Skill for Amazon’s voice platform, which includes daily dating tips and a trivia game.
