Siddharth Mangharam is the CEO of Floh, a network for urban, educated singles. You can follow Floh on Twitter @flohnetwork or ‘Like’ them on Facebook.”
A Floh member recently pointed me to this NY Times article on how dating sites in the US are now organizing in-person get-togethers for their members. Finally, folks around the world are waking up to the reality that pure online dating (or matrimony) is hard and a waste of time. In a recently conducted study in India, Floh asked users of matrimonial sites about how long it takes to actually meet someone for coffee. The consensus was that it takes anywhere between 6 to 12 months of *painful* online searching to meet someone for a cup of coffee. A cup of coffee! Moreover, in most cases, that’s also the last time they meet.
One of our respondents from Bangalore said: “I’ve been on a matrimonial site for five years now and I’ve met five guys for coffee.” That’s one coffee date for each year that she’s been seeking online. And, she’s still single. Is the system broken, or what?
Here’s a quote from the NY Times article (it could very well be a single man or woman in Mumbai or Delhi):
“It’s so disappointing to invest all that time e-mailing and then… nothing.”
Online dating is hard and tiresome. One gets very little return on all the time one spends swiping and following up on messages. This is exactly what Floh is trying to change. At Floh, each member is guaranteed to meet at least half a dozen folks of the opposite sex at *every single* event they attend. Floh events are available exclusively to its members. They are specially curated at the best venues in the city and allow members to bond and connect with each other. One gets real-life interaction with singles who have been screened and verified by the Floh team.
Additionally, many Floh members hang out together outside of our events with folks that they have met at Floh. They meet for dinners, movies and anything that’s a common interest between them.
I can’t think of a better way for singles to connect with each other. There isn’t anything like Floh anywhere in the world, including NYC, the dating capital of the universe 🙂
What do you think are other great ways to connect with singles in India? Tell us in the comments below.