PULSE2 - Joe Feminella, the founder and CEO of First Round's On Me (FROM), shared insights into his app, which is designed to encourage intentional, in-person dating.
Q: What's your background?
A: After a career in finance, I pivoted to tech to create something impactful, which led to the concept of FROM.
Q: What inspired FROM?
A: In 2016/17, I noticed how dating apps felt unnatural. I wanted to combine tech with the organic way my parents met in person.
Q: What are the app's key features?
A: FROM focuses on intentional dating: users send date requests, limit to one date per day, and chats open 24 hours before the date.
Q: What challenges have you faced?
A: Competing with established apps like Tinder and Bumble, but we focus on our mission instead of the competition.
Q: What milestones has FROM achieved?
A: 300K downloads, 10K completed dates, and $5M in funding, including $3M recently.
Q: What's next for FROM?
A: We aim to expand internationally, reach 1M downloads, and become a broader social platform.
