Disrupting the Dating Scene: The U Got Game Dating App

All figures in United States dollars unless otherwise noted.

Rajesh Kutty, CEO and co-founder of the U Got Game online dating application start-up, was thrilled with the successful showcase that he and his team presented at the Collision Conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in June 2023. After the showcase, the U Got Game founders were presented with several funding offers from partners interested in investing in their online dating application start-up. The founders were excited to proceed with funding decisions and were aware that choosing the best funding strategy to support development and promotion of their novel dating app was a pivotal decision for their start-up. The founders wanted to ensure the funding strategy they adopted was aligned with the focus and culture of their firm and would allow them to develop the novel software product as they had envisioned it. Kutty estimated the team would require $5 million to deliver the desired end-product dating application and knew that choosing the right funding strategy was key for the start-up’s success.^[1]

Each of the funding offers presented to the U Got Game team after the conference came with their own set of advantages and disadvantages for the start-up. The funding offers included options such as partnering with an accelerator, bootstrapping, and engaging directly with venture capitalists (VCs). On the one hand, the founders knew that an accelerator program would provide financial resources and networking opportunities in the tech industry, and bootstrapping would involve funding the company’s future growth through its own capital without external funding. On the other hand, venture capitalists were firms comprised of seasoned tech investors willing to inject larger sums of money for fast tracking development and progress to market. Therefore, each funding decision carried implications for the founders’ ability to steer the company according to their original end-product vision and market strategy. The team’s priority was to ensure sufficient resources for the app’s development and marketing, aiming to launch a product that would not only enter the market swiftly but also sustain long-term growth and innovation in the dynamic landscape of online dating. See Exhibit 1 – Timeline of U Got Game’s Future Development. The balance between retention of control – to ensure the firm’s innovative culture and novel approach to product development was maintained — and the support for processes that facilitated speedy development was nuanced, and the decision would lay the groundwork for U Got Game’s trajectory in a competitive industry.

The Online Dating Industry

In the rapidly expanding world of online dating, new apps were caught in a relentless chase to capture the attention of millions of users. In 2023, online dating had become big business and was key to how people connected. It was an arena that generated a staggering $4.94 billion in revenue in 2022, and the Match Group (including Tinder, Match.com, OkCupid, Hinge, Plenty of Fish, OurTime, and others) accounted for $3.1 billion of that figure.^[2] There were over 300 million active dating users globally,^[3] with about 20 million users willing to pay for premium features.^[4] Tinder, the flagship product of the Match Group, topped the list of most downloaded apps in 2022, with its competitor Bumble trailing closely behind. Despite the dominance of these platforms, there was a growing consensus among the founders of U Got Game that the industry was ripe for a fresh wave of innovation and disruption.^[5]

The online dating industry was not merely a sector but a cultural phenomenon transforming how individuals connected and fostered relationships. The perception of online dating had undergone a notable transformation.^[6] Previously, it was often viewed with skepticism and a certain degree of stigma, especially in certain social circles and among older generations. This attitude progressively changed, and online dating became more widely accepted and commonplace for initiating romantic relationships, particularly among younger demographics.^[7] This shift was attributed to various factors, including the increasing ubiquity of technology in daily life, the growing prevalence of social media, and the convenience online platforms offered in connecting people with similar interests and intentions. As a result, online dating gained widespread acceptance and emerged as a preferred method of meeting potential partners for many individuals across diverse age groups. Yet this gamification of dating sometimes trivialized the process, leading to superficial engagement with potential partners.^[8]

The lack of differentiation among many dating apps also created an unbalanced user market. In such a market, the focus shifted more toward the quantity of potential matches over the quality of interactions.^[9] Consequently, it became challenging for many users to establish meaningful connections. The ease of swiping through profiles with little time or thought given to each frequently resulted in a cycle of endless searching with limited actual connection.^[10] This environment was particularly discouraging for users seeking deeper, more genuine relationships, as the gamified nature of these platforms often prioritized casual encounters and brief interactions over substantial, long-term connections.

Various competing platforms rose to prominence within this industry, offering distinct flavours of the online dating experience. Some, like Hinge, aimed to foster long-term relationships, while others, like Badoo, started as a social search and gaming app before evolving to focus on dating. Happn capitalized on geolocation to connect people who had crossed paths in real life, whereas Grindr specifically catered to the LGBTQ+ community. Another notable platform was Plenty of Fish, a veteran in the field that had successfully transitioned from a traditional dating site to a mobile-based service.

Despite this variety of competitors, many dating apps operated under similar mechanisms, raising issues concerning the need for more substantial differentiation among platforms. Consequently, this relatively homogeneous user experience and the game-like aspects of swiping contributed to the development of market dynamics in the world of online dating, with many users finding it challenging to form meaningful connections.

How Dating Apps Work

Dating apps provided a platform for individuals to create profiles with relevant personal information, including their interests, hobbies, occupations, and, in most cases, photos. These profiles served as digital representations of the users, allowing others to peruse and evaluate them based on shared interests or physical attraction. Dating apps typically employed a business model predicated on the functionality of their matchmaking algorithms. These algorithms analyzed user data, including geographic location, shared interests, and individual preferences, to curate a list of potential matches.^[11] The user interface, often featuring a swiping mechanism, allowed users to swiftly express interest with a right swipe or disinterest with a left swipe. When reciprocal interest was confirmed — both users swiping right — the platform enabled them to initiate a dialogue within the app, potentially leading to a personal encounter. The monetization of dating apps was realized through several avenues, such as premium subscription tiers, in-app purchases, and targeted advertising. Premium subscriptions provided benefits like increased profile exposure, unlimited “likes,” or the option to revisit previous swipes.^[12] Many apps operated on a “freemium” model, offering essential services at no cost while reserving advanced features for paying users. This model relied on maintaining high user engagement, ensuring the algorithm aligned with user expectations, and creating an environment facilitating monetization through user interaction.

While sharing the common goal of facilitating connections, dating apps adopted different operational models catering to diverse social dynamics and relationship goals.^[13] For example, Bumble’s approach of allowing only women to initiate contact addressed gender dynamics in dating, empowering women to take the lead and potentially reducing unsolicited interactions. This model reflected a shift in traditional dating norms and offered a space where women had more control over their dating experiences.

Other platforms focused on fostering deeper connections through more comprehensive profiles and compatibility questionnaires. These tools aimed to transcend superficial interactions by delving into users’ personalities, preferences, and values. The effectiveness of these questionnaires in establishing real-life connections varied. They were designed to create matches based on shared interests and values, potentially leading to more meaningful interactions. However, the success of these matches in real life also depended on personal chemistry and other intangible factors that a questionnaire could not capture.

The diverse features of dating apps catered to different relationship aspirations, whether users sought casual interactions, long-term relationships, or something in between. These variations acknowledged the complexity of human relationships and the differing needs of individuals within the dating landscape. By providing these varied options, dating apps became more inclusive and adaptable to the multifaceted nature of human connection.

Innovation and Disruption

The founders of U Got Game believed that the online dating industry had reached a pivotal moment where the limitations of existing platforms became increasingly evident, highlighting a need for innovation and disruption.^[14] In the online dating industry, the founders saw innovation as the introduction of features that allowed for a more personalized and meaningful user experience. At the same time, they thought disruption entailed a complete overhaul of the current model, creating a new paradigm for online dating. In building the app, U Got Game focused on incorporating personalization, transparency, and flexibility.

In evaluating the online dating application industry, the founders determined that personalization was an area ripe for expansion in dating apps. Algorithms primarily focused on geographical proximity and basic preferences to suggest potential matches. The U Got Game founders sensed an opportunity to employ more advanced machine learning algorithms that considered a wider range of factors, such as shared interests, communication styles, and behavioural patterns observed within the app. They thought this would enable a more tailored experience, matching users based on additional dimensions of compatibility.

Transparency was identified by the founders as another opportunity for innovation. The founders assumed that most users did not understand how the dating matching algorithms worked, leading to potential skepticism or mistrust. A more transparent system that educated users on the match determination process was thought to foster greater confidence in the platform. This transparency could be achieved through in-app features that explained the matching process or allowed users to tweak certain parameters themselves, offering a level of customization and control that was previously lacking. See Exhibit 2 – Screenshots of U Got Game App Profile Creation. By explaining to users how this data was used, the app would be able to improve the matching process based on a wider variety of factors.

Flexibility and customization were also considered by the founders as a potential avenue for innovation and disruption. The U Got Game founders thought the traditional swipe-based model in most dating applications, where users were shown a series of profiles with photos and a brief bio then given the option to swipe left to pass or right to indicate their interest, offered little variation in user experience. They reasoned that introducing different modes of interaction within the same app could be a game-changing feature. For instance, a user could switch from a casual browsing mode, where they could swipe through profiles quickly, to a more serious mode that involved answering compatibility questions and receiving more detailed profiles. This would allow users to tailor their experience based on their current intentions, whether a casual encounter or a more serious relationship.

The U Got Game app also incorporated a unique approach where users first engaged in voice chat within a matching game. Several participants played the game together, and participants could reveal more information about themselves as the game progressed. This approach also introduced an audio chat element, a gaming aspect, and an opportunity to learn more about the participant in stages as the game progresses. Kutty indicated that the potential for Artificial Intelligence to assist in the assessment of the qualities of dating profiles meant that users could improve their digital presence and potentially have higher-quality matches. By moving beyond the swiping method and adding deeper interaction levels, the founders claimed that dating apps could encourage users to engage more meaningfully, focusing on more than just physical appearances.

U Got Game – Disrupting the Online Dating Industry: Transparency and Equity

U Got Game’s app took a different approach to maintain users’ engagement, attempting to address longstanding user retention challenges in the sector. At the heart of the app was a novel feature in dating apps — an audio-based competitive dating game. See Exhibit 3 – Screenshots of U Got Game App Gameplay. In this game, the host was paired with three other participants, all potential matches based on the host’s preferences, including gender, age, location, and other factors. This setup ensured the participants were all viable matches, aligning with each other’s interests and criteria.

The game followed a trivia format, where participants answered questions, facilitating a deeper understanding of each other through their responses and personalities. As the game progressed, more information about the participants was revealed. This gradual unveiling of details was designed to deepen the connection and understanding among the players. Based on the personalities and answers revealed during the game, the host would ultimately choose one of the three participants.

Throughout this process, the focus was on audio interactions, with physical appearances initially being withheld. This deliberate design choice meant that when participants saw each other’s photos, they already had a considerable understanding of each other that went beyond physical appearances. Participants could also access each other’s biographies, further enriching their insights into one another.

U Got Game aimed to foster connections based on shared interests and personality traits rather than mere physical attraction. By matching participants who were potential fits for each other in terms of age, gender, location, and other preferences and then allowing their personalities to shine through in a game format, the U Got Game founders explained that their app illuminated and mitigated possible biases where decisions might traditionally be made based on appearances alone. This approach effectively addressed the criticism that conventional dating apps tended to encourage superficial connections primarily based on physical appearance by offering a more nuanced and personality-driven approach to developing connections.^[15]

U Got Game also differentiated itself from conventional online dating services by introducing a marketplace for pre-purchasing date experiences, such as dining out. See Exhibit 4 – Screenshots of U Got Game App Marketplace. This marketplace operated with “inclusive pricing,” a cost structure intended to be accessible for users of varying financial backgrounds. The purpose of this marketplace was twofold: It alleviated common dating challenges, such as the logistical complexity of planning a date, which could be a source of stress or disagreement between potential partners, and it provided personalized recommendations based on user profiles and preferences, aiming to diminish uncertainties and potential miscommunications in date planning. The marketplace also served as a revenue stream for U Got Game. Kutty explained that by offering these experiences at discounted rates yet maintaining a small margin, the company facilitated these experiences while also benefiting from economies of scale. According to the founders, this business model not only made date planning more convenient and accessible but also contributed to the app’s financial sustainability.

Financial transparency was another critical aspect of U Got Game’s approach. The app outlined various options for splitting bills and clearly communicated the costs associated with its pre-purchased date experiences from the beginning. This strategy was designed to address the common dating issue of ambiguous financial expectations, which could lead to uncomfortable situations or disputes.^[16] Transparent pricing and payment options were part of U Got Game’s effort to create a trusting and open environment. The approach to focus on personality and shared interests marked a departure from standard practices of other online dating apps. U Got Game aimed to provide a more equitable and enjoyable dating experience by addressing issues like the depth of connections, logistical challenges, and financial transparency. This was all part of a strategy to position U Got Game as a disruptor in the online dating landscape.

Trajectory

Determined to revolutionize the world of online dating, U Got Game first embarked on its journey in 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The goal was to introduce a new app that redefined how people connect and find love. This journey began with developing a business plan detailing all the necessary resources to transform this innovative idea into a tangible reality. However, the challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 soon overshadowed the initial phase. During this time, the team faced significant difficulties finding the right technical expertise and a chief technology officer. This tumultuous year was marked by numerous trials and setbacks, which slowed the advancement of their pioneering concept. Nevertheless, in the face of these obstacles, the founders persevered. By 2021, they had started to better understand what technologies would be required for their project, but still needed to finalize a definitive development roadmap.

The turning point for U Got Game arrived through a collaboration with a college based in Ontario, Canada, in 2021. This partnership initiated the coding process through a capstone project, establishing the foundational framework for the app. This was a significant milestone, demonstrating the viability of the founders’ idea, yet the path to a fully operational app remained to be completed. The journey continued into 2022 with the development of the user interface, once more leveraging the expertise from another capstone project.

Company Roles and Culture

The U Got Game founders did not want to lose what they envisioned as a distinct company culture centred around a diverse team. In their eyes, a funding option that ceded too much control to outside investors ran the risk of allowing those outside the company to change the culture to meet their financial goals. U Got Game had been created and continued to grow up until this point with a distinct organizational structure.

The leadership team behind U Got Game, led by CEO and co-founder Rajesh (Raj) Kutty explained that he felt proud of the diverse and dynamic group of professionals, each bringing their unique skills and experiences. With his multidisciplinary background in healthcare management and the computer software industry, Kutty played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s vision. His expertise particularly informed the app’s approach to human interactions and the psychological nuances of dating, driving the mission to shift online dating toward more meaningful connections.

The team’s structure was designed to cover all critical aspects of developing and launching the app. The chief operating officer (COO) was responsible for implementing the company’s strategic vision and ensuring the smooth rollout of the app’s novel features. This role was essential in translating conceptual ideas into operational realities, balancing innovation with practical execution.

The chief technology officer (CTO) took charge of the technological aspects, ensuring the app’s features, such as the dating game and integrated marketplace, were both innovative and user-friendly. This role was crucial in navigating the technical challenges of app development and maintaining a seamless user experience.

The chief financial officer (CFO) managed the financial strategy, including the development of an inclusive pricing model. This role was key to maintaining financial transparency and ensuring the app’s pricing strategy aligned with its broader goals of accessibility and fairness.

The project manager oversaw all aspects of the app’s development, from feature design to user interface, ensuring each element aligned with the company’s mission and objectives.

The front-end developer played an instrumental role in creating an intuitive and engaging user interface, a crucial factor for user retention and facilitating meaningful interactions.

Together, the team worked collaboratively to bring the concept of U Got Game to life. Their combined efforts focused not just on the technical and operational aspects of app development, but also on fostering a platform that challenged the norms of online dating. By pooling their diverse expertise, the team felt like they had succeeded in creating an app that sought to redefine the online dating experience, aiming to offer a more equitable, enjoyable, and meaningful way for users to connect.

Funding Alternatives and Considerations

Accepting external funding was an important decision that carried both risks and high potential rewards. The online dating market was estimated by Kutty to be 337 million active users, with a total value of $11 billion. Of this, Kutty estimated based upon his experience and knowledge of the industry that roughly 45% were unhappy with the current range of online dating apps and were looking to find something new. This estimate translated into a potential target market of 151.65 million active users with a total value of $4.95 billion. From this potential market, Kutty estimated that U Got Game would be able to attract enough users to secure annual revenues of $75 million in subscription fees and advertising. But to realize these potential rewards, the team had to build additional features and scale the app to deliver the envisioned final product, a task Kutty estimated would require $5 million in funding.

The financing options offered to the U Got Game start-up were multifaceted. Partnering with an accelerator presented a route that could speed up development through immediate capital infusion and provide valuable networking opportunities within the tech industry. Accelerators often came with many resources, including mentorship, technological support, and business guidance, which could significantly raise the company’s valuation. Kutty believed that the principal benefit of such programs was access to networking opportunities in a finance world that had “fraternity-like” features in terms of helping one another. This alternative would potentially provide more funding opportunities going forward. However, this option usually involved relinquishing a more considerable portion of equity, which could lead to losing control over company decisions.

On the other side was the prospect of bootstrapping — funding the company through its revenue and without external capital. This approach would allow the team to maintain full control over the company’s direction and equity but might slow down the development process due to limited resources. Bootstrapping would require the company to have a sustainable and sensible economic model from the outset, as well as scalable technology that could grow with the company without necessitating significant future investment. Kutty believed that bootstrapping offered the benefits of securing a more valuable payout later because they could potentially establish themselves in the North American market without giving away equity. He expressed concerns, however, as to whether re-invested profits would be sufficient to arrive at a final product with all the features they had envisioned.

Engaging directly with venture capitalists (VCs) was another viable path. This alternative could bring in larger sums of money and the support of seasoned investors experienced in scaling tech start-ups. However, VCs often expected a significant return on investment. They could influence the company’s strategic direction, potentially leading to a shift in company culture or priorities to meet the VCs’ growth and exit timelines. Kutty believed that the only way to secure a deal in which not too much equity or control were ceded would be to already have a working prototype that was relatively mature in the product lifecycle and had already shown its ability to gain traction in the market. The question was, could U Got Game’s showcase at the Collision Conference in Toronto get them a deal with the right venture capital firm? Such a deal would need to secure enough funding and give them the terms they needed to maintain their company culture, control, and product vision.

Funding Resources Continued

Sufficient funding resources were required to ensure scalability and growth. The app’s value proposition was multifaceted, likely requiring significant resources. Kutty estimated the team would require $5 million to deliver the final product as envisioned. The founders sought to offer a platform that allowed game-based interactions that were engaging and ran smoothly with a user-friendly experience. A marketplace feature offering pre-arranged date experiences to simplify the planning process and reduce financial uncertainties would also need to be developed. See Exhibit 4 – Screenshots of U Got Game App Marketplace. This application development would require expert knowledge in multiple fields, including data science, programming, UX design, and more. Such knowledge had to be sourced from both the team and external contractors, requiring significant resources.

Scalability was also especially important considering the team’s desire for international expansion. The team was planning for the complex task expanding into international markets. The app’s leadership understood that the quest for meaningful connections was universal yet nuanced by cultural distinctions. The company faced the complex and resource intensive task of customizing its marketplace features to accommodate an international audience’s diverse dating norms and preferences. International expansion also involved upgrading technical infrastructure to serve a growing international user base, all while navigating varying data privacy laws. Such a challenging objective would likewise require specific expertise and therefore significant resources.

Decision Going Forward

The successful showcase at the Collision conference in Toronto in June 2023 was the culmination of a series of milestone events for the U Got Game start-up and generated a variety of funding offers for the U Got Game team. See Exhibit 5 – Timeline of Key Events. The U Got Game team, led by Kutty, faced the challenging task of choosing the optimal path forward. Kutty acknowledged the dilemma — “What level of support is available to us and what interest can we generate?”— and recognized that the funding strategy chosen would be instrumental in shaping the app’s future. The pressing question facing Kutty and his U Got Game team after the Collision Conference showcase was which funding strategy would best align with U Got Game’s operational strategy, company culture, and vision, and provide the estimated $5 million required to deliver the desired end-product while positioning the firm toward achievement of future goals.

Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Timeline of U Got Game’s Future Development

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Exhibit 2 – Screenshots of U Got Game App Profile Creation

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Exhibit 3 – Screenshots of U Got Game App Gameplay

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Exhibit 4 – Screenshots of U Got Game App Marketplace

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Exhibit 5 – Timeline of Key Events

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Image Descriptions

Exhibit 1

A timeline lists the following milestones and dates: MVP Completed 2023, BETA and Go-To-Market 2024, Final Mobile Product 2025, and Product Diversification 2026.

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Exhibit 2

A promotional image with two rows of five smartphone screenshots that illustrate the steps for creating a profile on the U Got Game app, beginning with a registration or log in page and followed by screens to add details such as age, location, photos, interests; the title Profile Creation is on the right side of the image, in the middle; the U Got Game app logo appears in the lower right of image.

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Exhibit 3

A promotional image with two rows of smartphone screenshots that illustrate the different elements of gameplay on the U Got Game app, beginning with a set up page to choose Bachelor or Contestant and followed by a screen with question categories of Travel, Food, Movies, and TV. The following four screens include questions and answer options under the screen titles What’s Your Pick?, This or That?, Would You Rather? and Agree or Disagree? The final screen displays a dating profile under the heading Meet Your Match! The title Gameplay is on the right side of the image in the middle; the U Got Game app logo appears in the lower right of graphic.

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Exhibit 4

A promotional image with two rows of four smartphone screenshots that illustrates the process of selecting an experience, with the example of a pottery workshop. Included are the screens for selecting payment preference, such as paying for both or splitting the cost, and payment method. This is followed by selecting a potential date from four matched profiles. The final screen indicates that the date request has been sent. The title Marketplace is on the right side of the image in the middle; the U Got Game app logo appears in the lower right of graphic.

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How to cite this case: Shapiro, S. J. & Liu, A. X. (2024). Disrupting the dating scene: The U Got Game dating app. Open Access Teaching Case Journal, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.58067/tmnt-rb08

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