Find Blind Dates Too Awkward? Two ‘Ignighters’ Want to Introduce You to Group Dating
by AG | July 1, 2009 - 12:45pm | 0 comments - 20 reads[inline:adam]That's a common concern amongst people when they first hear about group dating. And the truth is that, yeah, it happens sometimes. But the mission of Ignighter is really to create a more fun, less awkward environment for groups of friends to meet, not necessarily that you're going to close the deal at the end of the first date. So that kind of stuff is really dictated more by the personality of the group than the site itself. You guys specifically set out to make the profile part of creating a group as simple as possible (no long questionnaire, etc.). But what advice do you have for a group of guys who are at the profile stage of Ignighter? What should they include? Leave out? What are the women on the site looking for in those profiles? Women are looking for information. They want words on the profile page. For guys, it tends to be different. Guys can scroll through a group's 10 pictures and without looking at the Info section of their profile, decide they want to ask this group out. Girls like good-looking dudes, for sure, so post your pics wisely. But spend a little more time showing why you and your friends are fun, interesting, and unique. So many guys, in their profiles, say their interests are Women, Drinking, and Going Out. Guess what guys... most girls could have already assumed you like those things. So while you don't need to hide the fact that you like to do normal, fun things, find one or two interests that make you unique. What kind of success stories have you guys heard about so far? Any engagements or marriages yet? No marriages so far, but there are a handful of couples that have met as a result of using Ignighter, myself included. We can also claim that we've provided a shitload of really fun nights out, and that's what we're all about. Do you guys use Ignighter for your own group dating? We got on Ignighter dates all the time and we love it. My girlfriend and I met on an Ignighter date. Yes, go ahead and give the obligatory "not only the president, also a client" reaction. About how many groups do you have registered on Ignighter so far? Are they mostly in New York or elsewhere throughout the country? We have about 15,000 groups on Ignighter and we're growing very quickly. New York is our largest market at the moment, but we have Ignighter users all over the world. What entrepreneurial experience did you guys have before starting Ignighter? Honestly, not a whole lot. Dan and I, back in college, had always thrown around different entrepreneurial ideas, but it wasn't until we came up with the idea for Ignighter that we actually dropped everything (including our corporate day jobs) to try to make it happen. When we applied, got accepted, and went through the TechStars program our level of entrepreneurial experience skyrocketed. What's been the biggest challenge you've faced in launching Ignighter? Our biggest challenge has been to build a great product. People tend to really like the idea behind Ignighter, and that certainly counts for a lot. But people come up with great ideas all the time. It's the people who execute on a kick-ass product that are able to turn a kick-ass idea into a kick-ass company. Our product has come a long way since we launched a Facebook App prototype in January 2008, but we still have a ways to go. What advice do you have for other budding entrepreneurs? Seek advice from as many people as you can. We've benefited (and still do) greatly from the guidance of mentors; people who have been in our shoes and have made mistakes before us. So I would say my advice would be to get involved in your local startup community, make some friends and share your ideas. What's next for Ignighter? We've just recently launched our Ignighter Magazine and we're constantly working on making Ignighter more fun and engaging to use. We're always looking for feedback though!
