The latest addition to the dating app scene is Salud, a recently launched matchmaking app available for users in New York City. Founded by former Instagram engineer, Sahil AhujaCheers sets itself apart by offering friend-finding and social posting features to facilitate new connections.
Greetings (where almost everyone knows your name) puts a twist on the familiar mechanics of dating apps. Users can swipe through profiles and engage in direct messages, all while leveraging their existing friend network to play matchmaking, allowing users to swipe on behalf of their friends, share profiles, and request introductions, eliminating the awkwardness of meeting potential matches. online.
Additionally, Cheers incorporates social media features such as photo sharing, allowing users to post as many images as they want, rather than being limited to the six photos that most dating apps allow. Ahuja believes that adding unlimited images, presented in an Instagram-style profile, will improve the user experience, making the dating app more like a social platform. It also helps with the vetting process, as a potential match can be tagged in one of your friends' photos.
Ahuja told TechCrunch: “I've talked to a lot of women who felt like that's actually a really beneficial thing for them because if they see someone there with a friend, it validates that they're a legitimate person. They are not incomplete. It would be nice to hang out with them in today's life.”
Ahuja worked at Instagram for four years before venturing into the startup world to start his company web3. Sohoque was sold to Sound last year. His dream has always been to create Cheers, but he first wanted to work on Instagram to improve his skills. In a sense, Instagram is its own dating app. More and more users have turned to the app to “slide into the direct messages” of their latest crush.
The concept of an application to find contacts between friends is not new. Tinder tried this in 2023 with “Tinder Matchmaker” and Bumble has its “Refer a Friend” feature. Startups like Loop and Mate also operate on the same principle.
Although friend matching is not new, Cheers reflects the changing behavior of online daters, who gravitate toward making more authentic connections. What better way to guarantee that they will find a decent match than to confide in close friends who know them best?
Unlike the distant connections that users can follow on Instagram or Facebook, Cheers takes a more personal approach. It requires users to exclusively invite people from their contact list, emphasizing a more intentional way to connect. By restricting users to watching only three matches per day, the app promotes deliberate and purposeful dating interactions, putting the user experience at the forefront.
While many dating apps are experimenting with AI, Cheers uses ChatGPT to suggest which photos to post and generate captions. It also uses AI to help users set up profiles. However, the app prohibits AI-generated profile images.
Currently, Ahuja is working alone on Cheers and is focused on improving the app before promoting it in new markets or hiring someone. He plans to add paid features in the future, but wants to wait until Cheers has reached 5,000 users.
The app has garnered 150 signups so far and new users need an invitation from friends to join. It is currently only available on iOS.
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