This special edition of Chasing Unicorns is all about the business of love.
As always, ratings are from a scale of 1-3 like Michelin stars.
I’ve come across dozens of wedding startups and it’s easy to see why there are so many of them – weddings are big business. But the very appropriately named, Carats & Cake might be the one that makes the biggest splash.
Problem
It’s easy to look past the flowers, decorations and cheesy DJ – but all those things took months of meticulous planning and execution. Not to mention weddings can be expensive. So what are a groom and bride to do?
Weddings have many separate parts and they are all demanding your attention at the same time.
Problem Solved
Carats & Cakes helps you organize all those running parts together by providing a collection of vendors ranging from caterers to photographers. Just search for what you need and rest assured that you are getting exactly what you want thanks to vendor reviews by recent newlyweds.
Secret Sauce
Beautiful UI and design – you can’t get any better than this when it comes to branding. What stood out to me the most was Carats & Cakes focus on storytelling. It’s tough to visualize your own wedding so they put it all into context by showing, in great detail, weddings from other couples. It’s the perfect way to get inspiration and cool ideas for your big day.
Even as a man in my late 20’s with no intentions of seeking wedded bliss anytime soon, I couldn’t help but get sucked into the website and browsing all the cool weddings.
Issues
There is still competition with dozens of other wedding startups, all-trying to get in on the action.
Could use more transparency when it comes to vendor prices because costs are a huge factor when it comes to wedding planning. I would like to see vendors publicly list their prices on the site to help steer couples towards the right ones.
UNICORN RATING
I came across Dipify by pure happenstance – fitting considering what this startup is trying to achieve.
In a nutshell, the Thai team behind this app is trying to digitize serendipity by setting up strangers through coincidences.
Problem
Love is usually discovered in unusual and unexpected ways. The problem is, how can you engineer that process and use it to find meaningful connections?
Problem Solved
Dipify uses multiple data points such as your real time location, social media updates and even what you are watching on Youtube as a way to match you up with someone who is doing the exact same thing you are.
Secret Sauce
So you love going to those quirky Arabic poetry readings. Maybe your soulmate does too. And maybe she happens to be attending the one you are going to tonight. Dipify collects that info via social media check-ins and helps break the ice by making a connection.
Dipify can become a valuable tool that puts people in the right time and place using meaningful and mutual interests.
Issues
No clear path to monetization.
UNICORN RATING
Even with the glut of online dating sites out there, the creators of Glimpse are betting that Instagram will be the answer for all the lonely souls browsing the web for love.
Problem
Online dating is an awful proposition. If you happen to have the proportions of a walrus and less than desirable looks, you are relegated to the black hole of Internet romance.
It also sucks having to embellish your dating profile or come across others using questionable pictures of themselves from a few years back when their looks still had a fighting chance. Besides shady profiles, men see online dating as a tool to get laid. Women on the other hand, might not be looking for a hook-up, but their expectations of finding a Ryan Gosling look-alike make for a disappointing experience.
Problem Solved
Glimpse allows you to browse Instagram users by their photo feed. If 2 people are interested, they break the ice by discussing the photo that initially connected them together. No more bogus online dating profiles and being superficial.
Secret Sauce
Glimpse is counting on the possibility that pictures really do speak a thousand words. By using your Instagram photos to tell your unique story, you give others a “glimpse” of what you are really all about.
Issues
I can see Glimpse helping others find their hipster soulmate but competition in the online dating space is still intense. Without the right branding, it could get lost in the sea of crap already out there.
Need to figure out a way to monetize the app.
UNICORN RATING
Image Credit: Jay Deng VC
