Founder Story: 33000 Dates By Andrea McGinty

Industry

Dating

Location

New York, NY

Stage

Series A


Today, we're excited to spotlight a captivating startup that's caught our eye. "33000 Dates". Based in New York and led by the renowned dating coach Andrea McGinty, they are transforming the world of online dating.

With over 25 years of experience and featured in outlets like Oprah and Forbes, Andrea and her team help singles from their 30s to 60s navigate the complexities of online dating with a remarkable 65% success rate.

At 33000 Dates, they assist clients in choosing the right dating site, crafting unique profiles that attract quality responses, vetting photos, and composing messages that lead to meaningful dates.

Building on her success with It’s Just Lunch, Andrea founded 33000 Dates to make modern dating effective and straightforward.

Let Directly Ask from the founder of 33000 Dates.

Please Introduce Yourself and Tell Us About Your Startup?

I'm Andrea McGinty, founder of 33000 Dates and for the past 30 years---since my 20's when I was left at the altar--I have helped singles find the "one". I have over 7,000 marriages and am responsible for setting up over 33,000 dates. I'm also the original founder of It's Just Lunch in 1990, which I grew to 110 locations globally, $90 million in sales, before selling out to Private Equity.

Overview of 33000 Dates

33000 Dates is a groundbreaking dating service founded by Andrea McGinty, renowned for revolutionizing the dating industry. Based in New York, this startup caters primarily to singles aged 40-70, including those who are divorced, widowed, or have never married.

McGinty, who previously founded and expanded It’s Just Lunch to a global scale, leverages her extensive experience to navigate clients through the complexities of online dating with a personalized approach.

33000 Dates assists clients in selecting appropriate dating platforms from over 1400 available options, creating captivating profiles, and handling communications, all designed to secure meaningful connections.

The service boasts a significant success rate, having arranged over 33,000 dates and contributed to over 7,000 marriages. The firm uniquely positions itself by not making dating feel like a full-time job, an approach that resonates with its client base.

Currently in its Series A stage and fully funded from the sale proceeds of It’s Just Lunch, 33000 Dates is poised for further expansion. With plans to extend its services to Europe and Asia, the company aims to address the evolving needs of singles worldwide.

As the stigma around online dating fades, 33000 Dates continues to innovate, helping mature singles find companionship in the digital age.

What Problem(s) Does Your Startup Solve?

Smart people have no idea how to navigate online dating---I deal with people in 2nd acts---the divorced, widowed and singles who are 40-70 years old. Many met their spouse/partner in their 20's in college, grad school or the workplace---all pre-online dating and have no idea how to choose a dating site/app when there are over 1400 options to choose from. I help them with all aspects of online dating.

How Did Your Startup Gain Its Initial Momentum? Share Successful Strategies or Future Plans.

Serendipity. Once I sold It's Just Lunch, I received phone calls from the single world asking for help online---after all, online is the largest number of singles in the US!

What Were the Biggest Hurdles in Gaining Traction, and How Did You Overcome Them?

I overcame them with a unique strategy where it did not make my clients feel like dating was a full time job

From Your Perspective, What's Missing in the Current Startup Environment?

Better dating sites and user interfaces

Can You Share Your Experience With Fundraising? What Was Your Approach?

All funded with the monies from the sale of It's Just Lunch

What’s Next for Your Startup? Any Exciting Developments on the Horizon?

Yes, opening in Europe and Asia expansion plans

The online and fating stigma has mostly been eradicated---when I started in the 90's people thought I was starting an escort service---We've come a long way!

If You Could Go back and Give Yourself One Piece of Advice at the Start of Your Journey, What Would It Be?

Take on private equity sooner--I was determined to keep 100% of my company. Onve I sold off 10% growth skyrocketed with the proceeds

Your idea can change the world, let's make it a reality!

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