The Last Word: How Dating Apps Are Being Used for Business Networking, Not Romance

“Do you mean the real ramen or the microwave ramen?”

.…A tech recruiter’s message to a Hinge user before pivoting to job opportunities, via the Wall Street Journal.

Dating apps can be a great way to find romance. But increasingly, users are finding something else instead: business come-ons from tech recruiters, networkers, and more.

That’s according to the Wall Street Journal, which said the “ramen” message above was sent to Serena DiPenti of Dallas over the dating app Hinge (which is owned by Dallas-based Match Group). She’d mentioned that ramen was the key to her heart. But the tech recruiter instantly shifted to business, adding, “I’m wondering what company do you work for? Are you looking for new opportunities?”

Another Dallasite, Christian Jones, said on his Hinge profile that he’s on the app “to search for parents and teachers who will invest in his startup, which designs sneakers for children with mobile disabilities,” the WSJ writes.

Jones makes it clear that he’s not on Hinge for romance, but he’s gotten push-back from users he’s contacted anyway, the WSJ notes, including from one woman who responded: “Hey, this is a dating app.”

You can read the WSJ story—which also found children’s book authors, compliance specialists, and others hijacking dating apps to make business connections—by going here.

For more of who said what about all things North Texas, check out Every Last Word.

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