ARTICLE / THE MAKING OF... SERIES
The making of...
Humpday.
As the first quarter of this century draws to a close (yikes), it’s incredible how good, old human interaction has taken a battering from technology, social media and a host of other factors. As the loneliness epidemic becomes more prominent, there’s now a rising movement against tech that divides us, particularly when it comes to dating. With ‘Dating 3.0’ building momentum, we caught up with Charlotte Vieira, who, along with Kara Zervides, are co-founders of Humpday, the user-centric, one-day-a-week, ‘In Real Life’ dating app (IRL) that’s changing the way people date. This is The making of… Humpday.
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The making of... Series
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#humpday #dating #dating3.0 #branding #brand #datingapp #startup #scaleup #passion #founder #founderstory #marketers
Hey Charlotte, first up, what a great name for a dating app. Humpday. Love it. How did you and Kara come up with the idea?
Hey, thanks! Well, dating apps as we know them, are broken. Everywhere you look, you can see how the experience is failing people.
Picture this. You’re looking for a date and spending 2 hours a day on dating apps. You’re overloaded by choice, swiping through a bombardment of profiles that just aren’t your type. You spot a profile you like, shoot them a message... and never hear back or WORSE get stuck with a new pen pal (typically, only 2% of swipes will lead to an IRL date). The whole experience is horrible.
Once seen as liberating, swipe-based dating apps are now leaving users more anxious, and with lower self-esteem, a terrible combination for daters. Something is wrong here - dating apps and technology more broadly have evolved to leave us more disconnected than ever. So much so, that we are now facing a loneliness epidemic. There has to be a way of using the best parts of technology to bridge the gap between online and offline dating.
That’s where Humpday comes in, a dating brand for humans that solves the issue of dating app fatigue and brings the fun back to being single.
Co-Founders Charlotte Vieira and Kara Zervides
Isn’t it crazy to see how apps meant to bring people together now have the opposite effect? So how did you evolve the concept from there?
When we started, we called Humpday the app for people who “hate dating apps”. We wanted to address the problems driving dating app fatigue which so many people are experiencing right now - the endless swiping, superficial conversations, and lack of genuine connections.
So, we built Humpday around three pillars that address the key pain points of dating apps: compatibility, IRL, and scarcity.
The Humpday platform prioritises real-life connections and meaningful interactions. Our innovative approach involves a dedicated 'Wednesday' for chatting and arranging offline meetups in Melbourne and Sydney. By eliminating the constant distractions and focusing on genuine engagement, we’re providing a more effective and rewarding dating experience.
It sounds like you’ve been very thorough with your research. What did you do to arrive at the product you have now?
A tonne of first and second-hand research.
When Kara and I met in early 2023, Kara had been working on another dating app called giddy. She was utterly obsessed with fixing the modern dating app experience and helping the world feel a little less lonely.
Through building giddy, Kara conducted extensive customer research within the Australian dating app landscape. Building on this user data, we started hosting Singles events to validate our thoughts about the problem as well as our proposed solution. Over the past 18 months, these events have added serious fuel to the fire along with the thousand or so conversations we conducted with singles.
The feedback was clear. We were witnessing a tsunami of frustration with online dating, and a cultural shift to novel solutions.
So, with Kara’s initial data and the experiences of your physical events on board, how did the Humpday product evolve towards launch?
Our initial offline events were instrumental in shaping the early iterations of Humpday and our matching algorithm. They served as a real-world testing ground, allowing us to observe how our concept translated into tangible experiences for potential users.
Beyond simply testing our concept, these events also played a crucial role in building our community and brand. By creating memorable experiences and fostering connections, we positioned Humpday as a platform that goes beyond what traditional dating apps offer.
The insights gained from these early events were invaluable in refining our product roadmap and ensuring that Humpday remained aligned with the evolving needs and desires of our target audience.
We launched our mobile app as an ‘MVP’ and are now working to fine-tune it. The initial traction has been exciting and we can’t wait to scale and can reach more users.
Knowing how much developing an app can cost, how did you initially fund the MVP?
We initially bootstrapped. Kara had previously funded giddy, so we took those assets as the starting blocks for Humpday. We tried to keep our events as lean as possible so we could break even or reinvest any profits back into the dream.
Building a consumer tech business, we knew early on we’d need to raise capital to execute the vision, and in 2023 raised a pre-seed round from a VC firm. This helped us launch the app and grow.
Let’s talk branding. Humpday is a very memorable name so that’s half the job done for a dating app! How did the rest of the Brand identity evolve?
Dating apps have made dating so serious and dull when it should be FUN. Sure, dating can be awkward, beautiful, sad and happy, but you don’t know how long you’ll be single, and it can be some of the best times in your life. From day one, we’ve been all about bringing the fun back.
So when it came to our brand, from our name to our colour orange to our one-day-a-week model - we went bold. We weren’t afraid to break the mould of what people expect from a dating brand, because the status quo ain’t it. We instinctively wanted it to be fun, supportive, yet self-reflective, whilst keeping our users at the forefront of the product and experience.
Fun and bold is a good place to be. How about brand awareness? You mentioned your physical events, how else are you getting the word out there?
We’ve built a strong community through our offline events, and people sharing Humpday with their friends. We’re growing our presence organically, and tactics like memes and our educational content have helped us reach new users while building trust.
That sounds like some solid momentum. How about your future challenges? What's on the horizon?
Scaling Humpday in a market where there is intense competition will be challenging, but we’re confident it’s the right time to be launching an offline-forward solution.
Ok, before we hit you up with our last question, we’d like to say thanks for taking time out to share your inspiring Humpday story. The brand is a star in the making and hopefully, it’ll go a long way in addressing the balance when it comes to living life in the physical now. So, knowing what you know now, what advice would you give another founder embarking on their own startup journey?
Keep your users or customers at the centre of everything you do. It’s so easy to get lost in hypotheticals. By talking to them, you can ensure you’re building a business that’s a painkiller, not a vitamin.
Also, burnout is real so make sure you look after your physical and mental health. Your startup is no good without you feeling good.
