#431 - Sean Rad - Tinder - How the swipe fever took over the world

Génération Do It Yourself

The app that took over the world: downloaded over 530 million times and available in 190 countries.

Sean Rad has a relentless passion for facilitating connections through smartphones. His initial strategy was centered on the enigmatic “Tinder events.”

The idea was simple: a massive party with just one requirement for entry—install Tinder.

In each city, as soon as 10,000 users signed up, the app came to life, spreading virally and organically.

Before long, Tinder established itself across the Western world as the gold standard for dating platforms.

Launched in 2012, the app accounted for nearly 40% of marriages by 2017—an astronomical rise.

“Love is the ultimate pursuit.”

From Los Angeles, Tinder's birthplace, Sean opens up like never before about his journey. For the first time on French media, he reveals:

• The creation of the iconic “swipe”: the magic of design
• How to find love on Tinder
• The cost of success: far from a smooth ride
• AI’s growing role in the dating world
• The interplay of love and ego: in relationships and in entrepreneurship

This is a must-listen episode for anyone curious about the creation of an app that revolutionized social dynamics and brought millions of couples together.

TIMELINE:

• 00:00:00 : The philosophy behind the Tinder journey
• 00:15:00: There is no greater pursue than love
• 00:24:51: Learning outside of school
• 00:33:01: How to be a good founder
• 00:39:54: The swipe fever
• 00:46:22: 40% of weddings in America come from Tinder
• 00:53:31: The biggest learnings from Tinder
• 01:05:46: The hard truth behind success, is it love or ego talking?
• 01:17:54: Sean’s new projects: AI and real-life experiences
• 01:29:52: The American dream is being redefined

We referred to previous GDIY episodes:

• #420 - Stanislas Niox-Chateau - Doctolib : derrière la plus grosse marque de la French tech
• #380 - Paul Lê - La Belle Vie - Le Son Gokû de la FoodTech qui rachète Frichti

We spoke about:

• Tinder
• Figma
• Founder mode
• Spontaneous (not available yet)
• Y Combinator
• Rad Fund

Reading Recommendations:

• The Obstacle is the Way

You can contact Sean on Linkedin, X, Instagram.

Do you like the theme music? It's thanks to Morgan Prudhomme! Contact him at: https://studio-module.com.

Interested in sponsoring Generation Do It Yourself or proposing a partnership? Contact my label Orso Media through this form.