Interview: David Park — CEO/Founder of Kippo | Dating app for gamers
Blazer Interview Series
In this episode we interviewed David Park, the Founder/CEO of Kippo. Kippo is the first dating and social app designed for gamers. Kippo has raised a total of $2.5M and is backed by Primer Zazze Partners.
What is Kippo?
Kippo is the dating app for gamers. We use video games as the medium through which people meet and get to know each other.
What made you want to start this company? What has been your personal experience with traditional dating apps?
Kippo is the brainchild of an interesting group of people. The founding team includes pro-gamers, LCS shoutcasters, twitch streamers, and seasoned entrepreneurs. The one thing that we all have in common is that we are all lifelong gamers.
For decades, video games have been a great way to meet new people and to maintain friendships and relationships with people. Gamers know that video games are not just some side activity, it’s an entire ecosystem and lifestyle. As people spend more and more time online, we need better tools to meet, socialize, and date than swiping left and right on peoples’ faces. We at Kippo believe that video games are the answer to a new dating experience for a digital generation.
I’ve tried pretty much every dating app on the market and to be honest, they’re all pretty much the same app. I think that dating apps were a “good enough” solution for a long time but we are long overdue for a change.
Why is gaming a great place to get to know someone and build a relationship?
Sharing activities in general is the best way to get to know someone and build a relationship. In the physical world, we can go on a hike, see a show, or grab dinner. On the internet, we play video games. As with all activities, video games allow users to have a back-and-forth. We learn about cooperation, teamwork, how we deal with frustrations, how we celebrate our victories and so much more. Most importantly, playing video games together reveals the synergy in communication, which is arguably the most important quality in a relationship.
How can users customize their profiles on Kippo?
People on Kippo create their profiles using a custom Profile Builder that we developed. Think of it kind of like a mixture of Myspace and Pinterest. Users can fully customize their Profile Card Card by choosing and filling out various cards. We have a bunch of different cards you can fill out including specific games like a League of Legends or Animal Crossing card, personality tests like MBTI, or my favorite which is a console collection card. All the cards are beautifully illustrated and animated and Kippo makes it really easy to make a beautiful profile with just a few taps. Users can also add their favorite games to their profile.
Tell me about Kippo’s traction/growth so far? How many users do you have on the platform?
We have about 100k users just in the US.
How has COVID affected Kippo’s growth and/or the user experience?
COVID affected Kippo in different ways:
In terms of user engagement, overall usage over Kippo went up 3x at the start of the pandemic. It made sense that people had more time on their hands and were also looking for alternative ways to socialize.
From a marketing perspective, COVID forced us to completely throw our playbook out the window. The bulk of our marketing strategy was centered around in-person events including conventions, esports, and other events around influencers and content creators. COVID forced us to get creative with online guerilla marketing. We leveraged Reddit and Instagram to create viral content which helped bring in our initial users. Our webcomics about gaming and dating did really well on Reddit so we started an Instagram account @kippocomics which has over 20k followers now.
On the business side, the start of COVID threw a wrench into our office dynamic. Remote work may work for a large corporation with a lot of bureaucracy but for an early stage startup, the magic happens then everyone is in the same room bouncing ideas off each other. We had to change our product development cadence and chang the way we implement our ideas.
What has been your strategy when working with the right investors?
Kippo is blessed to have great, strategic investors in both tech and gaming. For the most part, we keep to ourselves and do what we want. Beyond the money, our investors are a great resource if we ever need outside opinions or an intro to someone, but Kippo belongs to the Kippo Team and the Kippo Community. We eat, breathe, sleep Kippo and have a very strong vision for where we want to take it. Our investors understand this and they don’t try to get in the way or influence any decisions. They trust in our vision and believe that we’re the best ones to try and realize that vision. At the same time, they’re more than happy to help if we ever need it and are just a phone call away.
What is your favorite feature of the app so far?
I love the Profile Builder. I think it’s really fun to fill out but it’s also fun as a developer thinking of new cards to make. The Profile Builder has so much more potential and we’re excited to expand and grow it over time. My favorite card is the Console Collection card. It’s a beautifully designed and illustrated bedroom and you can add all the consoles you’ve ever played. My first console was the NES and my room is peppered with all the different consoles I enjoyed over the years. The bedroom scene is super nostalgic and reminds me how important video games were to me growing up and still are.
What is your favorite game ever?
Starcraft. Zerg ftw
Have a particular startup you want to hear from? Leave a comment down below with your thoughts on this interview and any interview requests that you have in mind.
