When you’re an entrepreneur and a startup owner, you look for inspiration everywhere.
Dating, surprisingly, is a great place to seek learning opportunities and adapt its methods, philosophies, and nuances to the business world.
Dating and Building a Startup
What could dating and startups possibly have in common, you may ask?
Well, a lot of things, actually.
First of all, they both involve uncertainty, experimentation, and a willingness to adapt. Going into the dating or business world with a fixed idea of how you want things to play out will only result in disappointment.
You need to be open-minded and flexible to find the right people to match with and discover a product that’s right for your audience, build a team around it, and find investments. Whatever you think the journey will look like – you’re probably wrong.
Secondly, you can’t force the chemistry in dating or with product launches. Surely, you can manipulate another person and create a persona that they’ll be attracted to but your lies will be discovered. Plus, you can’t really make someone genuinely love you, this has to come naturally. Same with business. Yes, genius marketing can influence how the markets perceive you, but unless you’re actually what the end user is looking for, there’s no way you’ll build long-term success.
The third parallel is the role of soft skills. Intuition, empathy, and communication skills are paramount for developing a connection with your potential lover. And in the startup world, if you don’t have good intuition, you’ll be making mistakes along the way. Mistakes that will probably cost you the business. And don’t get us started on investors! Say what you will, but getting funding depends directly on how well you’re able to build a rapport with the person with the money.
Last but not least, timing is everything in both dating and launching a business. Look at Zoom – countless conference programs were trying to become the next big thing in the world of business communications, but Zoom was there at the right time. When the pandemic hit, it was already functioning and so it blew up. Another common example of success in startups is the divine timing of two future CEOs meeting in unlikely circumstances. One day they are introduced at a party or a random get-together, and the next thing you know, they’ve built a company that disrupted the market. But what if one of them decided to stay home and chill that day? Nothing would probably happen.
The same applies to dating. Two people may never meet unless they decide to register on the dating app one slow weekend and end up matching. Also, they may be right for each other but meet at the wrong time. We hear about stories like that all the time.
And such parallels and similarities are endless really. For example:
– Vision and values play a huge role. You can’t build lasting relationships if you’re not on the same page, and you’ll struggle to build a dream team if everyone looks in different directions.
– Continuous learning curve. Every person you meet, and every relationship you have can (and should be) a lesson that you process and get better as a person. With startups, if you’re not learning and constantly improving, you’re bound to struggle if not fail.
– Communication is key. Clear, open, and honest communication is honestly the cornerstone for both. Whether you’re trying to get to know a new person on a date, inspire the team to do their best for the new launch, or advertise to clients, – you need to be the master communicator.
– Mental resilience will get you through endless scrolling and an avalanche of first dates, and it will also keep you strong and help deal with inevitable highs, lows, unforeseen changes, force majeure, and everything else that startup life throws at you.
The Modern Date Philosophy: Explorationships Explained
When you’re considering launching a startup, you can try the explorationship method from the dating world.
Explorationship is a journey of developing connections with other people without the pressure of defining what you’re looking for from the start.
So, for example, you’re going into dating without a clear understanding of what you’re looking for. You’re open to new experiences and want to explore what the world has to offer. You go on dates, chat with other singles, meet some of them, maybe kiss or hook up, and perhaps even end up in a serious relationship. However, you don’t know it from the start.
As opposed to traditional dating philosophy, you’re not putting yourself out there with a specific goal, such as finding a future spouse or a summer fling. You’re taking it one day at a time, trying different formats, and figuring out what works for you.
That’s very similar to how many Agile startups function. They throw themselves into the work and start testing different concepts, or so-called MVPs – minimum viable products. They see something interesting, quickly create a prototype of a product, and share it with prospects to see their reaction. If it doesn’t work – no problem, onto the next one!
With explorationships and startups, you come up with an idea, test it out, iterate, evolve, and see where it takes you. You’re not stuck on a certain format, product, or relationship preference.
Explorationships and lean startups both enjoy this freedom to be themselves, try different routes, and experiment until they find a working formula.
Startups’ founders don’t launch with certainty, and neither do singles who follow the explorationship philosophy.
Why Entrepreneurs Are Receptive to Flure
Flure caters to many different kinds of singles, but entrepreneurs specifically have a great time in the dating app thanks to its focus on authenticity over appearances and connection over performance.
Traditional dating apps can feel rigid or goal-oriented. Kind of like chasing investor KPIs when you know that’s not what you need to get ahead of the competition. Flure’s structure is more aligned with how entrepreneurs actually live and love. It’s flexible, free, and future-focused.
The goal is not to fit into societal norms but to find your own happiness and build a successful life on your own terms, whether it’s a love life or a business venture.
