Queer as people: how internet dating app Her are creating an international community

Authored by Eric Johansson on Monday, 10 October 2016. Published in Scaling upwards, Interview

Whenever Robyn Exton launched an online dating software for gay girls, she didn’t foresee the way it could change everyday lives all around the globe

Robyn Exton got on a goal. Outfitted with green fluorescent tights, a white vest and a holster around this lady waist with a container of alcohol dangling from each cool, she dashed between categories of ladies in clubs. Leading them to trim into notice her on the roar with the tunes, Exton mentioned: “We have an innovative new software known as Dattch whenever your join today you’ll get a no cost chance of tequila.”

Quick for “date catch”, Dattch is the pre-cursor to Her, the internet dating software for queer, bisexual and gay female that will be now matching group throughout the world. Much of that triumph are related to Exton’s daily escapades in 2013, marketing shots for signups. “We have our very first 1,000 people who way,” she claims.

Having secured resource and technological knowhow, Exton was actually left with the test of marketing the app, which can be exactly how she discover by herself frequenting London clubs slinging photos of tequila in return for signups. But it wasn’t the only real strategy she have upwards the lady arm. “We accustomed go to satisfaction festivals in which they normally use those gross porta-potties that always run out of rest room paper,” describes Exton. Not merely one to miss a possibility with regards to comes up, she just stapled flyers on toilet paper rolls and given them call at the queues. “Really glamorous stuff,” she laughs.

However, while she now got some funds and a full-time staff, the matchmaking application didn’t remove at first. “in the 1st 6 months, they had hardly any feedback, engagement and pick-up,” she said. The challenge is that application ended up being very similar to the way in which male-oriented internet dating software like Grindr worked, targeting clear pictures, quickly meet-up era, brief communications and rendering it easy to create quick judgements. “It’s the full total opposite for the particular knowledge ladies are looking,” says Exton. “They would you like to search much more content, read more suggestions and chat for a significantly longer time before satisfying up.”

The group observed something else entirely too: females performedn’t just use the app for online dating. In reality, a lot of the consumers are in relationships and tried it to discover the thing that was occurring throughout the homosexual scene. Generally, folks would register with find out neighborhood happenings, browse reports, meet latest company and acquire recommendations. Catering into method people in the city were using Dattch, Exton’s team redesigned and relaunched the working platform as Her, changing it from a straightforward matchmaking app to something greater. “It turned a lot more of a means to interact with the greater people than just assisting men and women meet up one-on-one,” claims Exton.

The rebrand coincided with Her’s series B circular where the application secured $1m funding from buyers instance Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit, Garry bronze, co-founder of Posterous, therefore the British serial business owner Michael Birch. A comparable time, their went live-in the usa and Exton was handed the opportunity to pitch the app at an American meeting. “The response had been phenomenal,” says Exton. “To be reasonable, I found myself pitching it at Lesbians Just who technology, so it couldn’t currently a more suitable group of people.”

Nonetheless it ended up beingn’t exactly the location: Americans felt additional turned on towards idea than Exton’s countrymen was basically. “British individuals are truly sceptical,” she states. “nevertheless Americans are like ‘we can’t waiting to install this’.” The extremely good reaction along with a desire getting close to its brand-new United states people generated choosing Her’s next step easy: the team chose to transfer into US. To make sure that’s how in the springtime of 2015, Exton packed the lady bags and ventured over the pond.

Creating established inside newer head office in bay area, the expat and her employees are now gearing right up for the following period. First of all, Exton intentions to launch reduced membership at the end of the autumn with new features. What those is going to be however stays to be noticed but Her is certainly not preventing here.

Today, the app keeps over a million people and is for sale in the UK, the US, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Australian Continent, Mexico, Thailand, Germany, South Africa together with Netherlands. But Exton intends to broaden the company even further. “Next we’re emphasizing raising worldwide and building our people around the world,” she claims.

Whenever Exton does decide to build the application, a lot more women will be able to gain access to a residential district that is currently modifying the lives of many people, something evidenced from the many good stories Her’s users have actually distributed to the organization. “We bring a wall stuffed with all of them,” she states. Each tale try a testament to the fact that Her is more than a hook-up software; it’s being an easy method for gay female feeling acknowledged for who they are. “Sadly, a lot of people won’t see recognition using their individuals, family or communities,” says Exton. “But we are able to provide them with that by giving a residential district that recognizes all of them.”

The 1st time she realised the influence the application was having on women’s life is a few years ago. “A female came up in my experience in a pub in London and said she’d come asleep with her roomie,” says Exton. Your ex explained to Exton that she haven’t started sure whether she ended up being gay or otherwise not but after signing up for Her she realised this performedn’t question: right here was several people who gay dating service Philadelphia acknowledged their it doesn’t matter what. “It was actually amazing,” she concludes. “I’ll always remember that facts.”