May give newcomers the opportunity to topple existing competitors, our research shows that changing user experience in neglected segments, rather than technology, is the key success driver of industry disruption. Get the latest from Innovation Strategy Get the latest insights on workplace strategy and execution, delivered to your inbox once a month. What is your email? Sign Up Privacy Policy, Dating apps such as and began as desktop dating sites in the Internet era before pivoting to mobile apps after launching in . These applications dominate the industry by virtue of their first-mover advantage. and a huge user base.

Simply because they have more users, these existing platforms offer users a higher likelihood of finding the right partner. They also emphasize matching algorithms, which they continually refine using the vast amounts of data they collect about their customer base. Until 2000, as traditional brands dominated the industry, it was difficult for new entrants to gain even a small market share due to their small customer base and lack of historical data. is an app that revolutionized the industry and Email Lists Database became the most popular dating app just a few months after its launch in 2011. (See Mobile Dating App Market Share in the U.S. .) The Edge matching algorithm suggests more promising dates to users and doesn't showcase new technology. In fact, from a technical perspective, it initially pales in comparison to other applications and crashes frequently.



There are two key factors to the sudden success: of young people; and introducing new gaming features such as sliding and variable rewards, which transformed the user experience and reduced the popularity of this specific segment. Consumption barriers. Market Share of Mobile Dating Apps in the United States This chart shows the total market share of anonymous panels made up of millions of U.S. users as a percentage of the total number of sessions on the app. Market share of mobile dating apps in the United States adapted from. A large body of academic research shows that 20 years ago, young.