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Name: Alikewise
Quick Pitch: Alikewise is an online dating site that matches people based on their book tastes.
Genius Idea: Online dating in the U.S. is a $1.049 billion per year industry (yes, that’s larger than the online porn industry) dominated by a handful of major players, including monthly subscription services like eHarmony and Match.com, and free dating sites like plentyoffish and okCupid.
With so much competition in the general dating category, a number of niche dating sites have cropped up in the last few years: there’s Cupidtino for those looking to love something in addition to their Macs, sites designed exclusively for “Beautiful People” and gamers, and others that unite people by common interests in music or, uh, Star Trek.
Alikewise is a new niche dating site that aims to unite people by a common passion for literature.
Matt Masina and Matt Sherman, the site’s founders, began working on the site in late 2008 after the latter broke up with his girlfriend. “I [wanted to] meet a woman who had read The Black Swan,” he said. Now those who want to find others who are knowledgeable about the books and topics they’re passionate about can do so on the site.
Upon signup, users can fill out four categories of information, plus add a photo and tagline:
- Basics: Your age, location and what you’re looking for (sex and age).
- Attributes: Details about your appearance (because a common love of Shakespearean sonnets doesn’t ensure physical attraction).
- Books: Add your favorite books to your bookshelf with a note. Other users can comment on your selections — a great conversation starter.
- My Story: An opportunity to talk about your other passions and interests.
Although there’s room for other information, the emphasis is entirely on books. You can only search for other users by typing in a book title or author or by username — not by any other interests (a drawback in my opinion, as some may be looking for, say, someone who reads and does triathlons, rather than someone who has read George Eliot’s Middlemarch, or an admirer of Henry James over 5′8″).
A front page newsfeed also notifies you when others add books in your profile to theirs.
Conceptually, the platform is promising; you can gauge a great deal by browsing the bookshelves in a person’s home and, with the addition of notes attached to book selections, you’ll likely form an idea of a person’s intelligence, humor and wit. Bibliophiles already like to gather — just think of the number of book clubs in the U.S. — and it makes sense that they’d want to date each another, too.
The site, Sherman admitted, won’t make much money unless it decides to charge a monthly fee for subscriptions — but first it needs to reach critical mass. “Honestly,” Sherman said, “we may never charge. Mostly I am driven by the fact that this is an intriguing idea with a big potential audience.” At the very least, he should be able to attract a number of book publishers and vendors as advertisers.
What do you think about the site? Would you rather spend time on a more general online dating site with a larger userbase, or a niche site that brings people together with commons interests?
[img credit: odetothebigsea]
Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark
BizSpark is a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.
More About: alikewise, bizspark, dating, online dating, spark-of-genius
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