YouApp aims to revolutionise the dating landscape by streamlining the compatibility assessment process. Instead of laboriously consulting experts and sifting through personality tests, the app’s AI swiftly calculates compatibility based on inputs from Chinese, Indian, and Western astrological charts and insights from the Myers-Briggs model.
This amalgamation of ancient wisdom and contemporary psychology enables YouApp to deliver compatibility predictions in seconds, sparing users the time-consuming task of manual evaluation.
Drawing from a vast database and leveraging the expertise of specialists, YouApp’s AI continuously refines its matchmaking algorithms. After learning for over a year from the app’s active user base, which exceeds 20,000 individuals in Asia, the AI incorporates real-world data to enhance its accuracy.
Alongside its sophisticated matchmaking capabilities, YouApp offers a plethora of features, including daily star chart readings covering various facets of life, free daily matches, premium membership perks such as unlimited likes and chat access, stringent identity verification processes to thwart scammers, and multifaceted matching options beyond romantic connections. Additionally, the app facilitates seamless communication with real-time translation support for seven languages and enables users to effortlessly connect via QR codes, enhancing the overall user experience.
The self-funded company is run by a team of 28 in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia.
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In this interview with e27, Douglas Gan, Founder & CEO of YouApp, explains the background behind the dating app and its features. He also reveals the company’s significant plans for 2024.
Here is an edited excerpt of the conversation:
Can you explain the decision to include astrology, numerology, and MBTI in your matchmaking platform?
First, there is no accurate matchmaking platform in the world today, so YouApp is really in its own category.
Next, we have to understand that these ancient philosophies are actually not much different from the current well-documented philosophies, such as MBTI. The philosophers of the past did not have universities to grant them fancy titles such as Professors or Psychiatrists. The ancient philosophers used what they knew to create what made sense for their time and is hence recognised by the world.
They then studied it by practising it on millions of people to derive their basis and outcomes. This is similar to how philosophers of today, mostly professors, would conduct studies with a much smaller group of people to determine compatibility, e.g., blood type, MBTI, and DiSC.
Metaphysics philosophies is by far the most accurate way to match people for work, play and dates, simply because of the sheer number of studies and practices it has been conducted on. There is no other philosophy methodology that comes close to that. So, using metaphysics philosophies makes the most sense.
Here’s a relatable example: Have you ever met someone for the first time but felt like you have known each other for ages? Metaphysics philosophies can explain this phenomenon. You simply match!
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The dating app market in SEA is already crowded with local and foreign platforms. How do you plan to set yourself apart? Is there even a demand for another dating app?
The global TFR has more than halved over the past 70 years, from around five children for each female in 1950 to 2.2 children in 2021. Governments worldwide encourage people to give birth every year; the consistent fall in birth rates signals an apparent rising demand for compatibility matching.
If a couple is not compatible, they will never get married and reach the stage to give birth. But the age-old saying “There is someone for everyone” remains steadfast in everyone’s hearts. Some people may believe; some people may doubt. But everyone hopes this sentence is real at some point in their lives.
But we think what is even more significant is matching. LinkedIn earns 1.5x more to match professionals (US$9 billion annually, excluding US$5 billion in marketing solutions) than all the major dating platforms combined (which falls at around US$6 billion annually).
So, YouApp is not just a dating app but a matching app. We also differentiate our matching capabilities by matching people for work, play, and dates. Notice that “Play,” which is activity matching, is not a well-documented market segment, but we can see hints of it from Klook, Airbnb Experiences, and other similar types of “Activities” taking shape in the past few years.
We match humans, and that’s what humans do: work, play, date.
What is your revenue model? What is your plan to become a sustainable business?
Our current revenue model is subscriptions, where we charge US$9.90/month or US$99/year. We have identified multiple revenue streams for this business but plan to introduce them to maximise user experience instead of introducing revenue streams to mar the user experience.
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One of the identified revenue streams is to introduce Matching Consultants, Life Coaches, Metaphysics Consultants, and Health Coaches to the platform’s various analyses. It is common for humans to have self-doubt, and thus, having someone to talk to seems to be a natural extension.
Many other revenue streams include commerce, real estate feng shui, and recruitment.
Here is a testament to why user experience is essential: In January, users launched YouApp 1.8x per WEEK and now, just three months later, users launched YouApp 8.2x per DAY, which is approximately 32x more per week than in January.
Can you tell us about the profile of users that you are targeting?
We target people who want to know themselves better, reference what if, improve their lives, grow their wealth and network, and understand the people they work, live, play and date with.
What is your major plan in 2024?
We currently have physical offices in Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. We plan to expand our physical office presence to Vietnam, Myanmar, Taiwan, Japan and Korea. Currently, our user base are from 11 countries, most of which are in Asia, the US, and Mexico. We plan to increase borderless matching as finding “the one” is so difficult.
We have integrated 12 philosophies and plan to increase it to 30 to enhance our accuracy further.
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Regarding AI, our GenAI can answer most basic queries, but we are not ready to deploy it for mass use yet. We plan to enable users to chat with our GenAI when we have 30+ philosophies integrated. We are working with various philosophy experts to train the AI to answer any questions and get answers (or predictions) based on 30+ philosophies or an individual philosophy, e.g. you can ask if she will say yes to your proposal based on I Ching or just generally. Or if your boss will give you a promotion, if you should move out of Singapore to be more successful, or if you should make that investment.
We also plan to raise just one round of funding. We plan to be profitable by the end of 2024 and focus all our time on building our product for billions of users instead of fundraising.
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Image Credit: YouApp
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