Fortune: eHarmony does what tech ought to do
This matchmaking dotcom succeeds with its aim of creating happy marriages. Software for soft stuff – it would be nice if there was more.
(Fortune) — Most dotcoms don't arise from anything so touchy-feely as a desire to lower America's divorce rate. But eHarmony is a singular Internet company – one that shows how many great business opportunities remain for those who can creatively apply technology to basic societal challenges.
This 7-year-old online matchmaking startup has revenues of almost $200 million annually, and is "very, very profitable," according to its CEO Greg Waldorf, with whom I spent a fascinating lunch recently.
eHarmony was started by Dr. Neil Warren, a psychologist who, after counseling thousands of married couples, came to the less-than-earth-shaking conclusion that the single biggest factor that determines a marriage's success is picking the right partner. And he thought of something he could do about it. So he started the company with that unconventional corporate purpose. He found a bunch of programmers and went to work.
So now, for $59 a month or $251 for a full year, members can take advantage of eHarmony's sophisticated matching algorithms. The software analyzes your answers to 250 questions, which all members tackle when they join, to figure out who you might work well with. About 15,000 people submit their answers on an average day.
But you won't necessarily be matched with someone who answered the same way you did. eHarmony employs five Ph.D. researchers who are constantly tweaking the software based on their latest findings .They work with the couples and individuals and publish some of their research in scientific journals. The company hopes that its matches get people into the top quartile of marital satisfaction. ….
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