Spencer Rascoff Restructures Tinder as Match Group Faces Decline

Posted on March 27, 2026
Logo of Match Group

BUSINESS INSIDER –  Spencer Rascoff has reshaped Tinder over the past year, taking over from Faye Iosotaluno. He is reorganizing the company into smaller, flatter teams, and operating it more like a startup. At the same time, Justin McLeod and Hesam Hosseini have exited, with the COO role not being replaced. The shift comes as Match Group faces pressure, with its stock falling from ~$150 to $30 and removal from the S&P 500, while Tinder downloads declined from 61M in 2021 to 48Min 2025. Meanwhile, Hinge is growing and on track to become a billion-dollar business. Rascoff is focusing on Gen Z and pushing new features to reverse Tinder’s slowdown and re-energize the app.

See full article at Business Insider

Hinge CEO Jackie Jantos on Dating and AI Replacing Human Connection

Posted on March 27, 2026
Hinge Jackie Jantos

NEWSWEEK –  Jackie Jantos says AI is increasingly replacing small, vulnerable conversations that build real relationships, as young people use tools like ChatGPT instead of turning to friends. She points to declining in-person interaction among Gen Z and argues that technology removes the “messiness” needed for intimacy. While AI can mimic empathy and conversation, it lacks real reciprocity and shared experience. At Hinge, Jantos is focusing on intentional friction, real-world connection, and product design that pushes users toward actual relationships rather than more time on the app.

See full article at Newsweek

Tinder Requires Facial Scan for New UK Users

Posted on March 27, 2026
Tinder Face Check

MASHABLE – New Tinder users in the UK must complete a facial scan to sign up, using a feature called Face Check. Users take a video selfie, which is checked against their profile photos and used to detect duplicate accounts, after which they receive a verification badge. The requirement is already in place in the U.S., Canada, Australia, India, and other regions. The rollout follows earlier verification steps, including photo, video, and ID checks, and aligns with new UK regulations such as the Online Safety Act.

See full article at Mashable

Matchmaking App Keeper Builds AI Model to Score Attraction

Posted on March 25, 2026
Keeper.ai

LINKEDIN – Jake Kozloski, founder & CEO of Keeper, says physical attraction is the most important factor in matchmaking. Not shared values or compatibility frameworks. He argues this is backed by research and widely understood by matchmakers, but often avoided in product design. At Keeper, his team built a photo testing tool using millions of human ratings. They trained their own model, keeper-1, to score attractiveness with near-human accuracy, at a fraction of the cost of other AI models.

See full article at LinkedIn

Poland to Recognize EU Same-Sex Marriages Following Court Ruling

Posted on March 25, 2026
marriage equality recognition in Poland

GRINDR – Poland’s Supreme Administrative Court ruled that same-sex marriages performed in other EU countries must be recognized in Poland, giving legal status to an estimated 30K–40K Polish couples married abroad. The ruling follows advocacy from local organizations, supported by Grindr for Equality through campaigns and partner initiatives. Full marriage equality remains the goal.

See full article at Grindr

The Skills That Strengthen Marriages-and Make Better Managers

Posted on March 24, 2026
The Skills That Strengthen Marriages-and Make Better Managers

HBS WORKING KNOWLEDGE – Simple shifts, like paying closer attention and delegating clearly, ease tension at home and can also build stronger teams. Couples who experience more gratitude and less resentment for one another shared two key patterns: Men showed greater attunement to household needs, and women delegated tasks to their partners more explicitly. Workplaces may also benefit when leaders pay closer attention and delegate assignments. Researchers defined gratitude for both men and women as the recognition that their partner was going above and beyond to do the unexpected. Mismatched expectations fuel resentment. Men grew resentful when they felt unrecognized. Delegation and paying attention matter. Teams also function better when managers recognize employees’ full cognitive load – both professionally and personally – and respond with clarity and flexibility.

See full article at HBS Working Knowledge

222 Uses AI to Match Strangers at Real-Life Events

Posted on March 24, 2026
222 logo

BUSINESS INSIDER – Startup 222, founded by Keyan Kazemian, Danial Hashemi, and Arman Roshannai, is building a different approach to dating by focusing on real-life interactions instead of swiping. It launched in 2021 as a dinner series in LA, matching strangers using AI after personality assessments, then grew into a company, joined Y Combinator, raised capital, moved to New York, and launched an app in 2024. The product matches people into small in-person experiences like dinners or nights out, then collects feedback to improve future matches and sets up follow-up dates if there is mutual interest. It has since expanded beyond first meetings into helping maintain relationships. In 2025, it raised another $10.1M, bringing total funding to $13.7M, and is now investing in tools that drive ongoing real-world connections, not just introductions.

See full article at Business Insider

China’s Parent-Driven Dating Apps Turn Marriage Into a Marketplace

Posted on March 23, 2026
Three smartphones displaying matchmaking app interfaces

QUASA – China is seeing rapid growth in parent-focused matchmaking apps like Perfect In-Laws, Chengjiaxiangqin, and Red Thread Matchmaking. These platforms let parents search for spouses for their adult children, focusing on income, property, and background. The trend is driven by falling marriage rates and economic pressure. The apps are heavily monetized through subscriptions and paid features, often playing on parental urgency. While sometimes effective, many young people push back, feeling reduced to profiles in a system they don’t control.

See full article at Quasa

Tinder Introduces AI-Powered Photo Selection for Better Matches

Posted on March 20, 2026
Tinder

NEW YORK POST – Tinder has introduced a new feature that scans a user’s camera roll to analyze patterns, generate “photo insights,” and suggest stronger profile pictures, aiming to improve match quality through AI-driven personalization. The feature is optional, and users still choose what gets shared. Still, it requires access to one of the most personal spaces on a phone. That’s why it’s raising questions. At its core, this is a simple trade-off between convenience and privacy.

See full article at NY Post

A Science-backed Framework: How to Improve Relationships

Posted on March 20, 2026
Book cover of 'How to Feel Loved' by Sonja Lyubomirsky and Harry Reis

THE HARVARD GAZETTE – From the book “How to Feel Loved” by Prof. Sonja Lyubomirsky & Prof. Harry Reis. “Just be yourself.” Many people aren’t being themselves. Instead of showing themselves, they show off themselves. Feeling loved is earned through presenting more of your full self: your values, experiences, quirks, and dreams. Sharing struggles and imperfections builds connection. What truly matters to you? Selectively and progressively reveal parts of yourself to foster genuine connection. Many people believe that in order to feel more loved, they must persuade others to love them more. Years of empirical studies and observation suggest that this approach is ineffective. Feeling loved is much more about you (and your mindset) than about trying to persuade the other person that you are worthy. The more you hide your innermost self, the harder it is to feel truly loved and valued by the significant people in your life.  You actually make the best impression when you focus your attention on the other person. How do you increase the chances that the other person will notice and care? The answer is simple – you go first! That means you first need to notice and care – show curiosity.

See full article at The Harvard Gazette

Mark Brooks (Courtland Brooks): I know Barry Rhein and Associates are working on a course to help dating app users become better daters.  See “Dating Through Curiosity”. (Full disclosure, Barry was a client of Courtland Brooks)