Meet Katie Hartle, Founder and CEO of FriendMatch – a unique company that is exactly as it sounds – think online dating but strictly for platonic friendships instead. In a time where loneliness is at an all-time high, Katie has built a community over 100 countries to help tackle just this, answering the question “How to Make Friends” for more than 5 million people – and counting.
In this episode, we cover the human side of business, how to build a lean start-up, tips for growing a community, and so much more. If you have an idea you believe in – be sure to catch this episode to be inspired to get started today!
Listen now online here, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or find us on most major podcast platforms. Prefer video? Watch now on YouTube HERE!
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- 0:33 Meet Katie Hartle, Founder of FriendMatch
- 5:50 Validating Your Idea
- 8:00 Evolution of the Online Dating Industry
- 14:55 Current State of Loneliness
- 22:20 SPEED ROUND
- 25:30 Dragons Den
- 31:40 Building a Lean Start-Up
- 38:30 Balancing Businesses and Life
- 45:25 Giving Back to the Community
- 52:08 The Future of FriendMatch
Follow Our Guest – And Let Them Know What You Learned From This Episode:
- friendmatch.com
- Facebook @friendmatchofficial
- Instagram @friendmatch21
- Twitter @friendmatch
Find Your Start – Episode Resources Mentioned by Our Guest:
- Glow Fitness for Women
- Guinness World Records: Largest Gathering of Angels
- Katie pitching FriendMatch on Dragons Den
- Competitive Dating Apps branching into friend matching: Bumble and Tinder
- Loneliness Epidemic: scholarly article / Vox article
Follow Start Canada Podcast – And Share What You Learned From This Episode:
- Facebook: @StartCanadaPodcast
- Instagram: @StartCanadaPodcast
- LinkedIn: @StartCanadaPodcast
- Twitter: @MargauxAMiller
- YouTube: @StartCanadaPodcast
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