NEW YORK TIMES - Whitney Wolfe Herd, founder of Bumble and co-founder of Tinder, returns as CEO of Bumble after a year-long break. She initially left due to exhaustion, family priorities, and burnout. Her return was prompted by the resignation of her successor and a feeling that Bumble needed her back. She reflects on: Tinder's toxic culture and her sexual harassment lawsuit; her disappointment with media coverage, notably Bloomberg's critique of Bumble's feminist branding as mere marketing; admitting Bumble isn't perfect, acknowledging overselling its empowerment angle, and its role in dating app fatigue. On Gen Z fatigue, she says users feel judged and rejected by current app mechanics, like swiping. Her solution: overhaul Bumble using AI and human coaches to offer more intelligent matchmaking and self-reflection tools - quizzes to help users understand themselves and build better relationships. She's also pivoting toward offline connections, launching features that promote local group events, aiming to fight loneliness and build community. Wolfe Herd criticizes venture capital's bias against women and the regression of support for female founders.
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Whitney Wolfe Herd on Burning out and Bouncing Back
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