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Justin McLeod, the CEO of Hinge, has an intriguing story of how he managed to launch the successful dating app with just a handful of KitKats. McLeod was just a young Harvard Business School student when he came up with the idea for Hinge, a dating app that aimed to be different from the rest by encouraging users to find meaningful connections and ultimately delete the app once they found the right match. Despite facing tough competition from the likes of Tinder, Hinge has become the second most downloaded dating app in English-speaking countries, boasting over 14 million users as of 2023.
However, getting Hinge off the ground was no easy feat for McLeod. In the early days, he resorted to unconventional methods like bribing students with KitKats to sign up for his app. Desktop-based internet dating was the norm at that time, and convincing users to switch to mobile dating was a challenge. McLeod recalls his days of running around the Georgetown college library in Washington, D.C., trying to persuade students to give Hinge a try. “We might get dozens of users a day – maybe,” he laughs.
In order to fund the development and launch of Hinge, McLeod had to rely on a combination of networking and collecting small amounts of money from everyone who believed in his idea. He recalls collecting checks ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 to kickstart the app. Despite the challenges, McLeod’s hard work eventually paid off when he landed a lucrative offer from McKinsey, a prestigious consulting firm. While most students struggle to secure internships, let alone full-time employment before graduation, McLeod’s McKinsey offer served as a lifeline that allowed him to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams.
Deciding between a cushy consulting job at McKinsey and venturing into the uncertain world of entrepreneurship was not an easy choice for McLeod. Ultimately, his passion for Hinge won out, and he turned down the offer to focus on building his app. The decision paid off when Match Group acquired Hinge in 2015 for an undisclosed amount after the app had raised millions in funding and garnered significant attention in the dating app market.
Today, McLeod is the CEO of Hinge, which generated a staggering $396 million in revenue last year. Despite the success, he remains humble and offers valuable advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, especially Gen Z graduates. According to McLeod, the key to creating something impactful and successful is to strike a balance between being hopelessly idealistic and brutally realistic. He urges young people not to get bogged down by overthinking their career choices but instead to take action and start working towards their goals, whether that means starting a company or entering the workforce.
McLeod’s journey from a struggling student offering KitKats to launch his app to becoming the CEO of a multimillion-dollar company serves as an inspiring example for budding entrepreneurs. By staying true to his vision and taking risks, he was able to turn his passion into a thriving business that has changed the landscape of online dating. His story is a testament to the power of perseverance, hard work, and unwavering belief in one’s ideas.
