WEBWIRE - June 21 - Saïd Amin, founder of World Singles Networks, will speak about how to build a successful niche dating brand. This is the first ever focused event on the premium international dating. The event is taking place in Cyprus on July 21 - 22, 2016.
27 posts categorized "WorldSingles"
Working With Remote Teams, World Singles Networks President And COO Interview, Darren Romeo
OPW INTERVIEW - Apr 21 - Darren Romeo is appropriately named. He is the COO of World Singles Networks, and has been focused on diaspora dating around the world. EligibleGreeks and ArabLounge are two of their largest dating sites. And they're doing very nicely. I learned that they run it with a virtual team, and I thought you'd like to learn more about this way of operating. Here's my interview with Mr Romeo. - Mark Brooks
When did you go virtual?
World Singles Networks went virtual back in 2011. Up until then we were in a relatively large office given the size of our team. As the months went by, the office became less and less frequented in a very natural, organic way. Folks were working more from home in a blended capacity. And due to a rewrite of our main application, our development team expanded rapidly across several different regions of the country.
How did that transition go?
For the most part the transition was smooth. Being that so much of what we do already happens through a digital interface, there weren't too many adjustments we had to make from an operational standpoint. Even when our offices were side by side, it was more common for communications to be channeled through several different channels/tools. Over the years we have used an evolving array of services.
What project management tools do you use?
For project management and more, Basecamp has been a part of our workflow for some time, less so recently. Backpack (Basecamp retured this product recently) has been helpful for simple task management between small teams and groups. We've used Unfuddle (Kanban card system that is more advanced than Trello), and a little Pivotal Tracker (agile project management tool of choice) for more development-centric ticket/project management. And InVision is now finding a way into our mix of tools, mainly as a specialized space for design management. Unfuddle's latest product, One, looks promising as a lightweight task manager.
Any other tools?
For messaging, presence, and real-time communication we've used Skype, Screenhero, Yammer, Google Hangout, Campfire, GoToMeeting and are beginning to experiment with how Slack may fit into our rhythm.
For non-sensitive file sharing and storage we've used Dropbox along with the built-in file management features of various other products.
For process modeling (BPMN 2.0) and information visualization we've been using Microsoft Visio, Tableau, XMind, and Lucidcharts. Screencast, TinyGrab, Jing, have been used for sharing quick links to screencaps. We share a lot of screencaps.
What we use is in constant flux and differs across teams and departments. Certain services fall in and out of vogue. We trust that the utility of each of the tools in our set will survive on their own merits without the need for any sort of official decree or centralized decision-making.
What were the initial challenges and surprises?
What was probably most surprising was all of the little things. We are humans--nourished by so many subtle, semi-tangible, often invisible energies. These energies are only noticed, if at all, by their absence. An easy smile, the fist bump, jokes at the water cooler. Especially curated details of weekend trips. Urgency. Nuance. The scrunched nose--I don't understand what you're saying. The nodding head--I totally understand you. Sarcasm even, which can be so difficult in virtual spaces.
There are so many bits of information, so many signals that can be meaningful that are no longer transmitted. In a physical space, you see who is meeting with whom, for how long; you get a sense of the vibe and tone just from the richness of ambient sounds and background conversations; the orbits and rotations of visiting vendors. Small talk with the mail carrier. You can feel when others are in the zone sometimes just by the rhythm of keyboard clicks (or the lack thereof.)
Gone is the surety of connection that eye contact affords. (Is there such a thing as eye contact in the virtual world? Looking directly at the camera as if reading from a teleprompter?)
We miss out on shades of privacy. By having so much control over what gets transmitted, we tend towards sanitization. We mute our microphones to politely silence the noise of chomping lettuce, strange ticks and buzzes lurking in the cables. The virtual office and its various channels can be either on or off making us sometimes long for a more analog experience.
How has it worked out?
Of course there was the immediate improvement to the bottom line :) The virtual office also instantly expanded the scale of the talent pool we could draw from. Many on the local team were thrilled to eliminate commutes and the related machinations. Reducing our carbon footprint felt good too. As well, with far less verbal touchpoints we had to be much more specific with our written communications and specifications; this has probably improved our writing skills and contributed to better documentation habits.
It'd be disingenuous of me to say that I don't miss being with folks though. Our company conferences are such a source of inspiration and camaraderie, for instance. Much of that is probably a product of basking together in all of the intangibles. The atmosphere upon everyone's arrival on day one is simply electric.
Will you stick with being virtual as the company grows further?
There will always be a place for the virtual experience in the life of our company; it has come with many important advantages both tactical and strategic. And given how technologies continue to shrink and bend time and space, distributed workforces are pretty much here to stay. As World Singles grows to the next level, our sense is that we will most likely evolve to a form between the virtual and the physical; realizing the maximum benefit that both approaches have to offer. Why just have your cake when you can eat it too?
What advice would you have for anyone considering moving to using a distributed workforce?
Given the added complexity of the rapidly shifting technological environment in which we operate, a monolithic approach to anything is probably not a good idea. I'd advise folks who are considering moving to a distributed workforce to view it as a tool, not as a solution. The days of either/or are long gone. I'd love to go to outer space but I wouldn't want to live there full time; at least not yet :)
As far as specific ideas on how to make the most of a virtual workspace, think of it like being an astronaut. Folks in the virtual office sometimes experience feelings of social isolation; they wrestle with reduced physical movement and stimulation. Differences in time and the logistics of communication must be taken into account. Astronauts are trained with these and other such considerations in mind. They develop deliberate practices to counter the effects of a zero G space. Here are some suggestions for the virtual office astronaut:
- Don't pocket all the savings from dropping office rent from the books. Reinvest a portion of those savings on team building exercises and opportunities for folks to meet in-person throughout the year.
- Utilize video as much as you can. While it sure doesn't beat face-to-face interaction, a video call helps to restore a richer information exchange between participants. It provides a sense of place and context. It matters if it's snowing outside of a colleague’s window. It's cool when a cat skips effortlessly across your teammate’s desk. Plus, you'll have to groom a little more often. This is a good thing.
- Cultivate virtual norms. We have to shift what we think of as good manners in virtual spaces since we have fewer tools to soften and contour what we say. Technology will tend to exaggerate succinctness and directness; help make this okay--especially for those on the team who may be a little extra sensitive in risking offending others. Help make it safe for people to communicate explicitly. It can be a boost to clarity, trust, and getting to the point. You may think emojis, emoticons and the like are a bit silly. They are J However, they can go a long way in helping to express tone. Consider adding them to your messages especially whenever there is extra risk for misinterpretation or ambiguity.
- Do you have a no-disturb protocol? It's a lot easier to see when someone's busy when you walk over to his or her desk--there's no need to put up a sign. In a virtual space, folks may not want to seem rude or unavailable by posting a do not disturb sign. Flow and mojo are crucial to productivity and creativity; intentionally create room for virtual quiet. Sometimes we all can be just a stray pop-up notification away from falling out of the zone.
- Unite distributed space through movement; experiment with walking meetings and group game play.
- Promote sketching, drawing, diagramming and sharing of created artifacts. Take extra steps to help people ‘see’ what you’re saying and improve operational alignment at the say time.
- Constantly ask the question: how does our virtual space promote our core human qualities--courage, trust, empathy? When we don't have to share bad news face-to-face, when we can avoid an awkward conversation with a note left on IM, we sometimes lose out on those opportunities to practice being (a better) human. The same goes for a pat on the back and those moments between the hustle when we celebrate what we've accomplished. Together. Better humans make better companies.
Mark Brooks: The Courtland Brooks team have been a distributed workforce from day 1, back in January 2005. Tools I recommend are Sococo for team communications, and creating a virtual office. Teamwork for project management complete with Gantt charting. Basecamp for lite document collaboration and communications. Freshbooks for invoicing. Uberconference for client calls. We don't actually do company conferences but I see this as essential for companies where the majority of the workforce are full time. We have water-cooler calls on occasion, where the team just natter, and we introduce new members of the team as we add special advisors. The best book IMHO on remote-working culture is The Year Without Pants which is about the distributed workforce that runs Wordpress.
See all posts on WorldSingles Networks
Post by Mark Brooks @
| |
World Singles Networks Helps Orphans
GLOBE NEWSWIRE - Dec 4 - World Singles Networks, an international online matchmaking services, launches its second 'iCare' Initiative to raise funds for Orphans In Need. WSN's site IslamicMarriage.com will spotlight to its many members the wonderful work that Orphans In Need does internationally.
| |
The Physics Of Online Dating
WORLD SINGLES NETWORKS - Aug 12 - World Singles Networks has been building dating sites for over a decade. This experience provides them a unique perspective on the growth and evolutionary tendencies of dating sites across a wide range of diaspora communities in every country on the globe. Just like in astrophysics where scientists can determine the lifespan and ultimate fates of stars based on their initial mass and other criteria, World Singles Networks can predict the growth and performance characteristics of online dating sites. Check out their own predictive model using the organizing metaphor of star dynamics.
The full article was originally published at World Singles Networks blog, but is no longer available.
| |
World Singles Networks To Help Charities
PR WEB - July 23 - World Singles Networks, a provider of niche and international online dating services, launches its 'iCare' Initiative to raise funds and awareness on behalf of charitable organizations and groups focusing especially on children's issues. Members who make donations will have the option to display an iCare badge on their member profile. The first of several iCare partners to be announced is the Palestine Children's Relief Fund.
| |
Interview With Saïd Amin, Founder Of World Singles Network
ARABNET - Mar 27 - World Singles Networks (WSN) recently announced the launch of ArabLounge in Arabic. ArabLounge had so far been available in French and English, capturing ~600K unique visitors and 18M page views per month and ~1M registered members.
Q: What is your background?
A: I was born in Tehran, Iran. I lived there for 3 years before moving to Paris, then US. I attended Clark University in Worcester, where I received my degree in International Affairs.
I also co-founded EventNow, an online service connecting users who are having an event or party with pre-screened vendors. I have also recently started doing some angel investing. Some of the startups that I am involved with include BrokerRoster, Kohort, TrekTraka, a soon to be launched music streaming service for the MENA region.
Q: Concerning WSN, how did it all begin and where you are now?
A: In my mid to late 20s I became increasingly interested in connecting more meaningfully with my Middle Eastern roots and meeting like-minded Iranian expatriates. I created IranianPersonals in 2001. From there we launched ArabLounge, HyeSingles (Armenian), JamaicanDating, EligibleGreeks, IslamicMarriage and many others. We are profitable, growing and have a few media partnerships that will soon be announced.
Q: Why did it take longer to get WSN and Arab Lounge to the Arab region?
A: Our initial company focus was on Diasporas, but has expanded beyond serving expats. It’s important that we strategically expand our footprint to countries that have mature online payment systems. While there are still hurdles in this regard, the timing is right.
by Wael Nabbout
See full article at ArabNet
See all posts on WorldSingles Networks
See all posts on ArabLounge
| |
WorldSingles Networks Introduces Arabic Into Its White Label Dating Platform
WSN - Mar 5 - With ~72M Internet users, a population of ~400M and aggressive mobile growth, the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region is booming with opportunities for the personals industry. White label dating provider WorldSingles Networks realized that they are missing out on the majority of the addressable market due to their lack of Arabic language localization. As of today, their white label matchmaking solution and ArabLounge, the dating site for the Arab diaspora, are available in Arabic.
The full article was originally published at World Singles Networks website, but is no longer available.
See all posts on WorldSingles Networks
See all posts on ArabLounge
| |
World Singles Networks Debuts TV Campaign For IslamicMarriage.com
PR WEB - Dec 20 - World Singles Networks debuts its new IslamicMarriage.com TV campaign on Islam Channel, a London based media outlet that provides alternative news, current affairs and entertainment programming from an Islamic perspective. World Singles Networks, along with its own market leading brands, powers online dating and introduction services for top media companies, online publishers and affiliate marketers.
| |
World Singles Networks To Power GhanaWeb.com
PR WEB - Oct 1 - World Singles Networks is launching a dating site in partnership with GhanaWeb.com, the most trafficked Ghanaian portal. GhanaWeb’s existing dating section is now replaced and updated with World Singles Networks’ app. This deal marks the beginning of a focus for World Singles Networks to expand in Africa.
| |
World Singles Networks Partners With World’s Largest Greek Media Group
WORLD SINGLES NETWORKS - Sep 20 - Antenna Group, the media leader in Greece and the Greek global diaspora community, is partnering with World Singles Networks to launch its brand new dating site called PerfectDate.gr. World Singles Networks powers online dating and introduction services for leading media brands, online publishers and elite affiliate marketers.
The full article was originally published at World Singles Networks website, but is no longer available.
| |
JapanDatingSite.com Meets a National Need
SB WIRE - May 26 - Marriage and birthrates in Japan are so low that they have attracted the attention of the country's government. A new dating site, JapanDatingSite.com has launched with the aim of helping to remedy the situation, and it has received the government's blessing. The site is part of WorldFriends Networks, a leading multi-lingual travel and language community.
| |
World Singles Helps Haiti
PR WEB - Feb 8 - World Singles, a provider of online personals sites for niche communities in the US and abroad, will donate 50% of its profits from membership subscriptions sold over the next 3 months on HaitiDating.com to the Yele Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund to aid in the Haiti relief effort. HaitiDating.com, a World Singles subsidiary, enables single Haitian men and women to connect for friendship, dating, romance and love. FULL ARTICLE @ PR WEB
| |
Saïd Amin: The "Eligible King" Of Ethnic Online Dating
GREEK REPORTER -- Jan 7 -- Saïd Amin, a young entrepreneur originally from Iran, created an empire of online dating services that target Greeks, Italians, Arabs and other ethnic groups. World Singles operates seven different ethnic online dating sites, among them Eligiblegreeks.com.
Q: When did you start your company?
A: It all started as a hobby in 2000, became my full time job in 2001.
Q: How did you come up with EligibleGreeks.com?
A: EligibleGreeks.com was the second dating site that I started. I saw a void in this market and moved in quickly to fill it.
Q: How many people have profiles in EligibleGreeks.com?
A: We have several hundred thousand members and are currently the most visited dating site for Greeks worldwide.
Q: What could you say about the behavior, patterns etc of (the members of) EligibleGreeks.com in comparison to people to your other ethnic sites.
A: EligibleGreeks.com is generally speaking more liberal and expressive.
FULL ARTICLE @ GREEK REPORTER
See all posts on EligibleGreeks
See all posts on WorldSingles
| |
Online Matchmaking Sites Court U.S. Muslims
WOMENS ENEWS - May 29 -- Even though El Jamal lives in the
United States, she expects her route to marriage will follow the
customs of her Palestinian family and many traditional Muslims. Neither El Jamal nor her
parents think the Internet is the place for a Muslim woman to meet a
suitor. However a
growing online matchmaking movement has Muslim women elbowing aside
courtship traditions from their computer keyboards. Sites, such as Arablounge.com, which has 275,000
members including Arab Muslims and Christians, cater to ethnic
communities. Others, like Muslima.com and Naseeb.com, are for Muslims
of all ethnicities. FULL ARTICLE @ WOMENS ENEWS
| |
mpGreek Partners With EligibleGreeks
PRESS RELEASE -- Oct 15 -- Online music site mpGreek has partnered with dating site EligibleGreeks to create “mpGreek Dating”. The co-branded service, which hopes to match singles with their “sound” soulmates, will provide members of mpGreek, one of the largest providers of Greek digital content, with the dating services of EligibleGreeks. FULL ARTICLE @ PR WEB
Mark Brooks: Saïd Amin is the CEO of World Singles which operates EligibleGreeks.com, amongst others. He's also the author of a great blog on internet dating and social networking, at SaidAmin.com.
| |