Always thinking

Frustration

Just read a few stories on business 2.0 about linkedin and other successful companies, lately I have not spent whole lot of time on reading these stories since it's more important to actually get out there doing things. Marketing for groupmingle.com has not been smooth, there is 0 people signing up since Nov. 23, so it's been 5 days without no new users. I am thinking to either make groupmingle as an event aggregator for singles only, or go to place for singles to organize events. I spent about 30 min today on Linkedin to send out a few invitations and research people who have the experiences for online dating startup. Without much result. Then a lady called Natalie emailed me regarding a nice venue "Falcon lounge" down in LA that is pretty sexy and appropriate for singles event. I researched a bit on eventful and heyletsgo to see what events out there for singles and what popular events are. Eventful is kinda off the hook on "event for singles/social": it's a mere list of bunch of musical/comedy/dance/community events that a single can not relate much too. Besides a list, what else value it provides to singles? Singles events have to be relevant, initimate with built-in expectations. Although speed datings are not perfect format, it at least provides singles real opportunities to mingle. But again, the format is a bit over the top and unreal. What groupmingle tries to do is to bring singles together to an intimate setting where they can social without this types of over-the-top format. So I call it event by singles. I happend to find a top event posted on heyletsgo. It's a popular cooking class offered by Emily Dellas, it's surprising to me that she is only 27 years old and has her calender filled up pretty well. That is exactly what I wanted to start with: a chef hosting a dating event for a group of singles. Then I found out a few more chefs are doing the class from craiglist. None is doing for singles though. Look, Emily is already successful on her cooking class venture. She does not need groupmingle.com to get her crowd. The only proposition I have for her would be singles scene and more singles party in the future, but again, she is already busy and can not host more. But in order to scale, she needs to have more business. Maybe that is where groupmingle come in. On the other hand, groupmingle's real value is to provide singles with more opportunities. Good events definetely draw singles: that I know already. But we need more girls. Without girls, there are no points for a dating event. How to get them? I spent about an hour and half on popsugar.com and perezhilton.com to dig what draws so many women there. There are lot of women who are not very attractive having hard time finding mate, but guys are not looking for them online. But if you have these women in the event, guys are all gonna be pissed. Have to find the sweet spot. I think still, men follow women that is how it works in the history of mankind. Groupmingle.com has to find solution to best utilize this rule of thumb along with our own approach.

posted by Road less travelled @ 11:28 PM