The rise of on-demand services and how it affects the way we meet

You have ambitions to become the best singer, writer, father, or business woman? A lot of us set out strong goals for ourselves, and in the meantime try to figure out how to balance our ambitions with hobbies, and seeing friends & family.

As a consequence we aim to save time in every way possible, which enabled the rise of on-demand services. Calling around for a taxi -no way- hello Uber. Cooking or queuing in front of that restaurant -no way- hello Deliveroo.

These dynamics are already deeply embedded into large cities, and gradually expanding geographically, as well as more and more on-demand services emerging on a daily basis (http://www.visualcapitalist.com/startup-idea-already-taken/)

But what if you are new to a city or are looking to meet new people? How do you fit that in with your goals, hobbies, friends, and family?

You visit a bar with an open mind, meet people via group sports, or work. More and more people are using dating apps to help them sift through countless people. In the end, it all comes down to what kind of experience you are looking for — let’s have a quick overview.

Match.com advertises the idea of finding that one soulmate that accepts ‘your flaws’, potentially leading to marriage — and Match.com has made a lot of those happen successfully. Paying a monthly subscription fee on this platform allows its users to reach out and engage in online conversations, that hopefully lead to real-life meet ups.

Happn plays out its hyperlocal character by showing you the people you’ve crossed paths with in real life. Similar to Tinder, you ‘like’ people and a ‘match’ occurs when the ‘like’ is mutual, unlocking chat as a result. You increase your chances of a ‘match’ by sending a ‘charm’ directly to a user. Charms are limited (read: scarce) and thus express a higher level of appreciation for that user, similar to Tinder’s daily ‘super like’ feature. Users can however pay a premium (Tinder) or buy more charms.

These platforms work fine, and I have used plenty of them myself. The only problem I have is with their inherent business model and how it drives them to serve their users. Whether it is monthly subscription, buying charms, premium, or selling user data to third parties, it is in these companies’ best interest that, the longer it takes for their users to engage on the platform, the more money they make.

Arguably, such dynamics often result in malicious practices harming their very own customers in order to increase profits. In fact, German-based dating app Lovoo’s headquarters were recently raided by the police because they were engaging in creating fake profiles to lure users in paying more. http://globaldatinginsights.com/2016/06/13/lovoo-speaks-out-after-armed-raids-of-offices/

This gap between the industry’s service provision and its broken business model standards have always been the intrinsic drive to create Rendeevoo.

The Rendeevoo app offers a transparent service where its sole purpose is to focus on bringing two people together in real life, over a drink at a great place.
And guess what…Rendeevoo monetises the actual activity, not its user behaviour —i.e. a ‘no cure, no pay’ business logic.

Many Londoners relate to Rendeevoo’s tagline “YOU. ME. DRINKS. NOW.” because we all have somehow experienced that texting with strangers is weird and uncomfortable.

Rendeevoo is a proud member of the Online Dating Association (ODA) and is actively lobbying for higher and safer standards in the Dating and Socialising Industries.