Published by Eric Johansson on Monday, 10 October 2016. Published in Scaling right up, Interview

Whenever Robyn Exton launched a matchmaking application for gay people, she didnt foresee the way it could change life world-wide

Robyn Exton had been on a purpose. Outfitted with green fluorescent tights, a white vest and a holster around the woman waistline with a container of alcohol dangling from each hip, she dashed between sets of feamales in nightclubs. Making them thin in to discover the woman on top of the roar with the songs, Exton stated: We have a fresh application also known as Dattch and when your signup now youll become a free try of tequila.

Short for date catch, Dattch was the pre-cursor to Her, the dating software for queer, bisexual and gay females that will be now matching group around the world. A lot of that profits is generally attributed to Extons daily escapades in 2013, trading images for signups. We had gotten all of our very first 1,000 people who ways, she claims.

Having guaranteed financing and scientific knowhow, Exton had been remaining aided by the test of promoting the app, which is how she found herself frequenting London clubs slinging shots of tequila in exchange for signups. But this isnt the only technique she had up the girl arm. We used to head to pleasure festivals where they normally use those gross porta-potties that always lack wc paper, clarifies Exton. Not just one to miss an opportunity when it comes up, she merely stapled leaflets on rest room paper goes and given them out in the queues. Really glamorous products, she laughs.

However, while she today had some cash and a full-time team, the internet dating app didnt leave initially. In the first 6 months, they got very little feedback, engagement and pick-up, she stated. The trouble is that the app was much like just how male-oriented internet dating applications like Grindr worked, targeting obvious pictures, fast meet-up hours, short relationships and rendering it simple to develop fast judgements. Its the sum of the opposite associated with the variety of skills women are shopping for, says Exton. They desire to search more content, read more ideas and cam for a significantly longer time before satisfying up.

The team observed another thing also: people performednt simply make use of the application for internet dating. Actually, most of the customers were in interactions and used farmers dating Germany review it to find out the thing that was going on on gay scene. In many cases, folks would register with see neighborhood happenings, browse information, meet brand-new buddies to get information. Providing on way members of the city were utilizing Dattch, Extons personnel redesigned and relaunched the working platform as Her, transforming they from a straightforward matchmaking app to things better. It became more of a method to connect with the bigger neighborhood than helping group get together one-on-one, states Exton.

The rebrand coincided with Hers series B game when the app guaranteed $1m financial support from buyers particularly Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit, Garry bronze, co-founder of Posterous, additionally the British serial business person Michael Birch. Comparable opportunity, the lady went live-in the united states and Exton was handed the chance to pitch the application at an American convention. The effect was phenomenal, claims Exton. To be fair, I became pitching they at Lesbians which technology, so that it couldnt currently a appropriate population group.

Nevertheless was actuallynt exactly the site: Us americans appeared more started up towards the concept than Extons countrymen was basically. British men and women are actually sceptical, she claims. however the People in the us comprise like I cant wait to get this. The extremely positive response coupled with a desire are close to the new American people made choosing Hers next move easy: the team made a decision to transfer into people. So as thats just how within the springtime of 2015, Exton jam-packed the girl bags and ventured over the pool.

Having settled into the newer head office in san francisco bay area, the expat and her staff are gearing up for the next period. First of all, Exton plans to launch a premium membership at the conclusion of the autumn with additional features. Exactly what those might be nonetheless stays to be noticed but Her is not preventing here.

Today, the software has actually over a million people and is found in the UK, the usa, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Australian Continent, Mexico, Thailand, Germany, Southern Africa and also the Netherlands. But Exton intentions to develop business even more. Next were centering on expanding globally and creating the community across the world, she claims.

Whenever Exton really does choose grow the app, a lot more women will be able to access a community that is already switching the resides of many people, something evidenced from the many good tales Hers customers need distributed to the firm. We bring a wall saturated in them, she claims. Each tale try a testament to the fact that Her is over a hook-up appliance; it is being a method for gay girls feeling approved for who they really are. Sadly, lots of people wont have approval using their family, pals or forums, states Exton. But we can let them have that by providing a residential area that knows all of them.

The very first time she realised the influence the app got wearing womens lives is a short while ago. A girl came up in my opinion in a pub in London and mentioned shed been sleep with her roommate, states Exton. The girl explained to Exton that she hadnt become certain whether she ended up being gay or otherwise not but after signing up for the girl she realized which didnt situation: right here had been a small grouping of individuals who acknowledged the girl no matter what. It is amazing, she concludes. Ill bear in mind that story.