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Sonder\u2019s founders couldn\u2019t bear to encounter one more dating app profile in which someone boldly declared that their most controversial opinion is that they like pineapple on pizza.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t learn that people are frustrated through user calls or interviews or any of that,\u201d co-founder Mehedi Hassan told TechCrunch. \u201cWe learned that through our own experience \u2014 we\u2019re just like, this can\u2019t be it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
This observation \u2014 that dating apps are a slot machine of misery \u2014 is about as unoriginal as bragging on Hinge that you were Time Magazine\u2019s 2006 Person of the Year (we all were<\/a>!). So Hassan and three friends, all in their mid-twenties, set out to create an app that doesn\u2019t suck.<\/p>\n With Sonder<\/a>, the four London-based founders \u2014 Mehedi Hassan, Helen Sun, Lenard Pratt, and Hannah Kin \u2014 sought to create an app that felt less like a job application and more like Pinterest or MySpace.\u00a0(They mention MySpace as an inspiration, despite being too young to have used it at its peak.)<\/p>\n \u201cWith the format of existing dating apps, the intention is lowering the barrier to entry and improving access, allowing for introverts to meet a bunch of people easily,\u201d co-founder Helen Sun told TechCrunch. \u201cThose intentions were really good at the beginning, but based on the way those apps have evolved, I think it\u2019s become a very monotonous thing, and people are suffering from burnout because there\u2019s a loss of authenticity.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Sonder profiles are completely unstructured, encouraging users to build something that looks like a mood board or a digital collage. People can connect over the app, but they can also attend quirky in-person events that Sonder organizes, like a \u201cSpeed Drawing\u201d event, \u201cPresentation Night,\u201d or a \u201cPerformative Male Contest<\/a>\u201d (it\u2019s a thing<\/a>, I promise).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Sonder can be used for both platonic and romantic connections, which makes its in-person events feel less intimidating \u2014 you\u2019re not entering a space where everyone is on the prowl.<\/p>\n Techcrunch event<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSan Francisco, CA<\/span> \u201cWe have recurring events, because it\u2019s nice when regular people come back,\u201d Sun said. \u201cIt\u2019s emulating run clubs in some way, where you have this reoccurring opportunity to meet people, but there is no pressure in that sense that you have to make it work the first time that you see someone.\u201d<\/p>\n Running clubs have become something of a phenomenon for people to meet in person \u2014 the incentive for \u201cproductivity-maxxers\u201d<\/a> is that even if you don\u2019t make a new connection, you at least get a workout in. But not everyone likes running, nor does everyone feel their flirtiest when they have visible sweat stains.<\/p>\n \u201cI hate running,\u201d Hassan chimes in. \u201cNot everyone\u2019s going to be interested in run clubs\u00a0\u2026 Helen is interested in book clubs, but you could not pay me to go to a book club.\u201d<\/p>\n Sonder is not the first startup to notice that people might want to meet in person. Even Tinder, the most \u201cdating app\u201d of all dating apps, is rolling out in-person experiences<\/a>. But consumers are eager to try something new. For dating apps, early-stage startups can actually benefit from their lack of brand recognition \u2014 going to an IRL Tinder event sounds about as appealing as going to the DMV, while trying something new feels a bit more inviting.<\/p>\n \u201cI think what we\u2019re trying to bring back is that magic of bringing people together and meeting someone for the first time,\u201d Sun said. \u201cIt should be special, rather than feel like swiping through job applications on LinkedIn.\u201d<\/p>\n Established dating apps are also introducing flashy new features, like Bumble\u2019s AI-powered dating assistant<\/a>, or a tool Tinder is testing that analyzes photos from your camera roll<\/a> to get to know you better.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 13-15, 2026<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n