The world of online dating is on the brink of radical transformation. Justin McLeod, the man who spent nearly fifteen years teaching millions of people to swipe right and founded the popular app Hinge, has left his company with a firm conviction: the old model no longer works. Instead of creating yet another platform for endless scrolling, he is launching a project that sounds like a dystopian script from the series 'Black Mirror'.
Project 'You'll Reject Me a Thousand Times'
McLeod's new app is called Overtone. According to the founder's own description, it is not a traditional dating app. There are no familiar profiles, match lists, or profile-swiping mechanics here. Instead, the algorithm analyzes the user's speech and suggests a meeting only if the system deems two people truly compatible.
The concept sounds romantic until you recall the 'Black Mirror' episode titled 'Hang the DJ'. In it, the 'System' app assigned users relationships, timing each date to the hour until it found a partner with 99.8% compatibility. Overtone does not offer a countdown timer for personal life, but the principle is the same: the system makes decisions about who you will meet, knowing in advance that you should be a match.
Funding from competitors
Unlike the characters in the series, McLeod is not working with a simulation. Real money is being paid for his idea. Recently, Overtone raised $18 million in investment. Notably, part of the funds came from Match Group — the company that owns Hinge, Tinder, and OkCupid. Thus, McLeod's former employer is effectively funding what will replace his own creation.
The end of the swipe era
The launch of Overtone comes at a time when the entire dating app industry is rethinking the swipe mechanic. McLeod, who defined the look of modern online dating, questions the effectiveness of infinite choice and suggests entrusting fate to an algorithm that, in his opinion, is capable of bringing people together better than they can themselves.