As Kevin Malone of “The Office” once said, “Why are you wasting your time and not doing tricks, why do you say so many words?”
For Julia Lestage and Lisa Le, creators of a new dating app called LoveJack, finding Love Online doesn't have to feel like filling out a stack of documents. All you need is a few words carefully selected to cause a connection.
The LoveJack profile looks like any other blind dating app, but there's a twist. Instead of a blurry or hidden profile, the user will see five words selected by a potential match. When the user presses and holds the phone screen (the app does not use swipe mechanics), the profile photo is revealed.
The five words can be anything from personal traits and jokes to random details such as current emotions and ingredients for lunch sandwiches. This is a fun tactic that one beta user tried during the test.
The idea is that the five-word constraints challenge users to be creative, yet concise and clever, encourage more resourceful conversations, and move them away from ordinary questions like, “What do you do for a living?” Or a pick-up line for overuse.
Lestage and Le decided to create a LoveJack after getting frustrated with the way that online dating profiles often resemble work resumes.
“This isn't LinkedIn. Where did you enjoy it?” Lestage told TechCrunch, reflecting the emotions many online daters share.
Lestage got the idea while working as a judge for the Webby Awards. The app is also inspired by the popular New York Times wardle game.
She shared with us that when she reentered the dating scene, the app shared that it inhaled fun from the experience, noting that traditional platforms emphasize superficial judgments based on appearance. So she decided to use a 5-word challenge on a date to get things on a lively basis.
“It's the story behind important words,” explained Lesthet. For example, she spoke to someone who mentioned the word “disco.” When she asked him more about it, she discovered that he had written about disco history. “I said, 'Well, you're funny, aren't you?”
LoveJack co-founders Julia Lestage (left) and Lisa Le (right) Image credits: LoveJack
Other standout features include the option to “bet” or “hold” a match. Betting is similar to preferring profiles, but the key difference is that users must enter a five-word opening line and place a bet. This gives you something interesting to accommodate your match.
Users are limited to a maximum of five games per day, so they must be strategic in their choices. This is where LoveJack's “hold” feature comes in, allowing users to bookmark profiles if they are unsure about who they are.
Additionally, you can update the 5-word description daily to add social aspects to your app. LoveJack archives all previous entries so that you can scroll through everything that the user has created.
“In real time, you can see how they are revealed through five word updates every day. Your story changes every day, every day, just like mood and weather,” Leist added.
In the future, there will also be a premium subscription that includes the “All in” button, the version of the app for “Super Like” but in this case, you can't match the others for the rest of the day by using all five bets on one person.
Lovejack says that when it comes to matching someone, he tries to minimize ghosts by asking the user to write a preset message when they set up a profile. Goodbye notes will be sent automatically to people they have no match for.
Another interesting aspect of LoveJack profiles is that it is recommended that users use fake names to protect their identity. Although using pseudonyms on dating platforms is common, they can elicit mixed reactions from users. Some question the credibility of potential matches, while others prefer to keep their personal information secret until they become familiar with others.
LoveJack says it is implementing a selfie verification process to ensure that the person behind the profile actually claims they are.
Other safety features include reporting and blocking features, censoring prohibited languages and explicit photos, and emergency features that allow users to contact the police and safety hotline. (These features were not available during beta testing, but are expected to be included in the official version.)
LoveJack is scheduled to launch the iOS app next month. It will first be launched in London and plans to expand to US markets, including Boston, New York and San Francisco. The Android version of the app will be released in India at the end of the summer.
Starting today, users can join the wait list for early access by signing up for LoveJack.App.