When we sketched the first version of CMO, we asked ourselves a question that most dating platforms quietly avoid: how many of the profiles on this app tonight are real people, using their real name, with real intent?
The honest industry answer is: nobody really knows. That uncertainty is the source of most of the anxiety people feel about meeting online. So we made a decision that most of the market considers commercially inconvenient — we verify every single member before they can see anyone else.
That means an ID check, a live selfie, and a short review. It adds friction. It slows sign-up. It also filters out almost everyone who was never going to show up in person anyway.
The result is a smaller network by design. And a smaller network of verified, intentional people is worth more than a giant network of ghosts.
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More field notes on meeting well, offline.
