Your company has thrived in a recession. How?
We have a product people love. We give it away for free. It’s a great business to run in a recession. We don’t have to worry about charging consumers. Love is never out of style.
How have recent policy decisions affected you?
It’s really about local and state taxes and other regulatory fees. We don’t need a lot of special treatment. We just want to be able to hire more people. If that’s hard to do, we won’t do it.
Name the newest technologies you’re using.
It’s all about mobile right now. We don’t measure success by page views or minutes spent by users, but by how many people go on dates. Mobile apps help that happen faster.
Your advice for others taking the leap?
Vet your idea with trusted advisors. Get great mentors. People have been starting web companies for almost 20 years; many enjoy helping others. Build a great team and good partnerships.
You can give it away because—
Advertising lets us invest in the business. We try to acquire customers as cheaply as possible and keep them as long as possible. Our users are our marketers—they recruit others.