In 2024, we set out to solve what seemed like a simple problem, though it turned out to be anything but. The idea came from a personal place. At some point, I wanted what many people want: to meet new people, build meaningful connections, and find a romantic partner. While I eventually found my soulmate through other means, that season of searching made one thing very clear: real, intentional connections were becoming harder to come by.
That realization stayed with me. Out of it, Minutes 2 Match was born.
The Problem with Digital Connection
At its core, Minutes 2 Match started as a response to a quiet but growing crisis. In a world more connected than ever, genuine, in-person interactions are slowly disappearing. We wanted to create a space where people could show up, be present, and actually talk to one another (face to face).
That’s where speed dating came in. Simple in theory, powerful in practice: a structured social experience where participants have short, timed conversations with multiple people in one evening. To support this, we built a platform where people could register for events and purchase tickets with ease.
But very quickly, we ran into our first real challenge.
The Shift from Access to Curation
People didn’t just want to attend an event; they wanted to know who they were likely to meet. They cared about the quality of the room, the depth of the conversations, and whether the experience would be worth their time. At the time, we had no way of knowing our participants before event day. We were organizing events in the dark, and that limited how intentional we could be.
So we changed our approach.
We introduced a simple layer (a short application form) to help us better understand the people signing up. We reviewed every application carefully and reached out only to those who felt like a good fit for each event. It was manual, time-consuming, and deeply intentional. And it worked. The quality of interactions improved almost immediately.
Scaling Intentionality
As the volume of quality applications grew, we faced a new problem: sustainability. I know "scale" can sometimes sound like chasing growth for its own sake, but for us, it was about impact. It became obvious that what we were building resonated with far more people than we could manually vet.
To serve this community without losing what made the experience special, we had to rethink our process. Automation wasn’t about speed; it was about protecting the quality of the match at a larger scale.
Beyond the Swipe
Fundamentally, Minutes 2 Match exists to help intentional people meet and see if something meaningful can spark. We are not another dating platform built around endless, mindless swiping. Instead, we collect user information in a fun, gamified way to understand personality, preferences, and compatibility.
We run this through psychometric analysis to suggest thoughtful matches, but we don't stop at the digital screen. We guide people toward meeting in real life: suggesting activities, places, and shared experiences that bridge the gap between "matching" and "connecting."
Looking Ahead
We’ve recently rolled out these new features and are watching closely (learning, adjusting, and listening). We are also experimenting with different pricing models, such as a fee to unlock profiles once a match occurs. It’s one of several approaches we’re testing to ensure that everyone on the platform is there for the right reasons.
Minutes 2 Match is still evolving. But the intention remains the same as it was at the beginning: to create space for real connections in a world that’s slowly forgetting how valuable they are.