The kids over at Global Dating Insights (a decent resource to keep in touch with what is going on in the digital dating industry) introduced us to the Mark Cuban-invested dating app called Courtem. I’ve placed the promo videos below, which seems to describe the app fairly well — and shows us what is hugely wrong with the concept.
Basically, Courtem is an app where “women have control” (nothing wrong with that), but where things go south quickly is the whole gold-digger impression it has. The concept: men, when sending their first message, indicate what they propose for the first date. Women have a number of (“patented”?!) options they can respond with:
- Reject the date offer
- Request he improve upon his date offer (i.e. propose a better date idea)
- Accept the date offer
- Accept, but only as a double date
So, in the promo video, the proposed first date is horseback riding and dinner at steak house. What?… For a first date? This is insane. First dates should be something informal and without a long time span attached to it. Thus, if either side doesn’t feel a connection, they can easily bail after a cup of coffee or pint of beer. If you use Courtem, get ready for a half-day-long first date that you may dread from second one.
Also, it seemed at first, there’s no conversing before this grand first date is set up (again, ridiculous — why go on a first date without any idea if there’s any connection whatsoever?). After scouring their Twitter account, that is partially incorrect. Seems there is a chat option (“Chat up to 24 hours to decide”).
Of note, apparently either side can send a date proposal – despite the depiction that only men propose.
This app is so far removed from the modern dating scene and definitely will not “transform the dating industry” (as the promo video states). I suppose one could argue they’re going after a different segment of the market (less informal, more “courting”), but there’s no way that segment is large enough to scale. As mentioned above, the incredible outlay for a first date that could go nowhere is quite the undertaking. That and “up your offer” is not a great start for a healthy relationship in my books.