Page 45 of Just Friends
“I thought it was pretty straight-forward. There were a lot of questions about my likes, dislikes, how I react to certain situations and whatnot.”
“Okay, so are you excited to find out who your number one match is?”
“I gotta say, I really am. I didn’t think I’d be this worked up, but I’ve been nervous all day.” I put my hand on my chest. “In fact, my heart’s kinda going crazy right now.”
“Aw, cute.”
Every live-stream, we had to talk a bit about the app to help promote it—and this stream was no different.
“Well, Jax, I hope you don’t mind waiting just a little bit longer,” Piper said, transitioning us into that part of the stream, “because we should talk about Soulmate first.”
“Yeah, some of our viewers might be wondering, ‘do I really need another dating app?’ ”
Piper nodded. “Yep. And I understand that completely. I’ve tried ’em all myself.”
“So why’d you make Soulmate?”
“Because I know the frustrations of online dating, and I believe the experience can be improved. That’s exactly what I set out to do with Soulmate.”
“How?” I asked.
“I started by interviewing hundreds of single men and women to find out what single people want in a dating app. And after hours and hours of research, I kept hearing a lot of the same complaints—a lot of the same complaints I had about online dating, too.”
“Let me guess,” I said. “Guys only want sex?”
She tittered. “That’s one of the big ones, yes. But you might be surprised that there are a lot of men out there whoarelooking for a committed relationship online but aren’t having any luck, either. Both men and women largely feel that it’s hard to find a relationship with online dating, and the relationships theydoform aren’t long lasting. Both men and women seem to agree that it’s hard to find someone they really click with on a personal level via online dating.”
“Huh,” I said. “Seems like the online dating world’s a real mess.”
“It really is. And that, Jax, is exactly why I set out to make Soulmate.”
“So what sets Soulmate apart from the other dating apps?” I asked, teeing her up.
“I wanted to create a different kind of dating app where men and women could find a match based on personality, rather than physical appearance. Because we’ve all used Tinder, and let’s face it—we all know how easy it is to only swipe right for pretty faces and not evenlookat the bios.”
“Hey, what’s wrong with that?” I joked. “A pretty face is all I’ve got going for me.”
She patted my shoulder. “Don’t listen to him, ladies. Jax is a lot more than just a pretty face.”
“So how does the app match people by personality?” I asked.
“I worked with a team of psychologists and other experts to craft a personality test based on the Big Five Personality Trait model. Once you’ve taken the test, Soulmate analyzes your personality type and shows you people you’re likely to mesh with on a personal level. So you’ll still see all the pretty faces, but you’llalsoknow how likely you are to actually get along with them. That super hot guy or girl might lose a little luster when the app is telling you that you’ll mix like oil and vinegar.”
“A good personality is cool and all, but what if I’m just looking for a one night stand?”
“Not a problem!” she cheered. “Soulmate just wants you to know who you’re likely to mesh with—it’s up to you how you actually use the app. So the question becomes, would you rather have a one night stand with someone youcan’tstand? Or would you rather bone someone you actually click with?” She nudged me with her elbow. “And hey, who knows, maybe you’ll find that one night stand turns into a long-lasting romance.”
“I don’t know,” I muttered. “Have you ever fucked someone you hate? It’s pretty hot, Pipes.”
She groaned. “Well, I guess now we all know howyou’lluse Soulmate,” she joked. “I should also point out that Soulmate compiles user data and tracks how you use the app to figure out who’sreallyafter a relationship, and who’s just saying they are so they can end up in the sack.”
“Wait, what? Are you saying scumbags like me won’t end up with good girls like you?”
She tittered. “Precisely. The app even has a fuckboy alert, so you’ll know exactly what you’re dealing withbeforeyou get involved.”
I stared into the camera menacingly. “Hear that, fuckboys? Your day is done.”
Piper laughed. “Done.”
