Natural Selextion
Dating in the modern age is tough—and there are some realities that we just need to face:
1) Sometimes traditional apps just don’t cut it. It’s hard to have the same level of confidence in a match as you do when there’s only a degree or two of separation between you, but…
2) Our friend/family dating pools are often exhausted—either dried up, or just full of well-meaning couples who have already (unsuccessfully) set you up with every other single person they know.
With this in mind, I decided to try to find a way to bring the convenience & scope of a dating app and the comfort & accountability of a set-up together under one unconventional roof.
Step 1: The Survey
The first step was launching a survey that would function as the (highly advanced, very technical) matching system fueling Natural Selextion’s dates. I created a ton of questions (some examples below) to gauge physical, psychological, and lifestyle compatibility. Over 100 people in the Orlando area completed the survey.
Step 2: The Dates
15 Natural Selextion dates were arranged, several of which happened at Orlando’s own Whippoorwill Beer House (pictured)—a chill, comfortable spot where you can really get to know someone. Unfortunately, every single date was a BUST.
What went wrong?
I wish I could tell you. At the end of the day, I guess there really isn’t a science to love.
Every single one of the matches reported HIGH compatibility, but there just wasn’t the “spark” they were hoping for.
Covid-19 certainly introduced some challenges—making these dates a little bit less comfortable and limiting us to location options with outside availability or advanced safety/cleaning protocols. It also limited our ability to host mixer events in which more natural connections could be formed.
The Takeaway?
Better luck next time. Perhaps Natural Selextion v2 will be a bit more successful.