The only idea worthy of pursuit IMHO opinion in this post is organizing in person events; this forces people to invest a bit more time in engaging with another human (an evening) vs a few seconds on a photo before a swipe to another human (or short conversations that die out in app). That in person time is the opportunity for organic chemistry, generating interpersonal closeness, to occur between two people.
TLDR The problem is the app. People get Uber for dating, which results in the dysfunctional marketplace demonstrated by Okcupid, Bumble, etc because chemistry, love, and relationships are not the same as on demand ride or food delivery services.
There's a rule, wish I could remember the name of it, that says people will consistently choose convenience over satisfaction even though those choices will tend to make them less happy.
I think this explains a lot of our modern societal dysthymia, but dating apps are particularly illustrative.
I would second that. The only value I've ever gotten out of dating apps was back in the more freewheeling days when OkCupid and the like would promote in-person events. Enforcing a balanced gender ratio plus similar interests (to avoid purely scattershot approaches), and having an official host running each event, would go a long way.
It also gives an obvious way to get users to pay for stuff in a way that directly corresponds to both the amount of work the company is doing and the number of singles the user is meeting: pay $X to get a spot at Y event. That could even include some simple cross-promotional bundling (get a ticket to the zoo / art museum / sportsball game / retro drive-in movie / whatever along with the group event).
I've tried speed dating probably 3 or 4 times. It's one of those horrible things I really shouldn't keep doing, but when there's nothing else out there...
Even in such events, I've only had one time where it wasn't 0 out of 0. With that one person we only went on two days. I dunno if meeting out in meatspace has that much of an impact really.
I had a good friend who said he thought dating apps only work for people who are attractive. Looking at my own friends in my life who have had successful relationships from dating apps and those who are frustrated by them, I'd say my friend was wrong. Dating apps only work for _very_ attractive people, 7 out of 10 guys and up (6/10 and up for women).
"It was determined that the bottom 80% of men (in terms of attractiveness) are competing for the bottom 22% of women and the top 78% of women are competing for the top 20% of men."
TLDR The problem is the app. People get Uber for dating, which results in the dysfunctional marketplace demonstrated by Okcupid, Bumble, etc because chemistry, love, and relationships are not the same as on demand ride or food delivery services.