Getting set up on a blind date feels very 1950s, but trying to gauge the sanity of a stranger via online profile alone may as well be rocket science—especially in NYC. Frustrated by his own experiences in the NYC dating scene, 26-year-old Michael Waxman was determined to bridge the gap between the old and new schools. “I was weirded out by networking events, dating sites and even the typical bar scene,” he says. Knowing other people shared his grievances, Waxman devised Grouper (joingrouper.com), an online dating system that matches you based on preferences expressed in your Facebook profile. The algorithm he created finds you a suitor discreetly (no photos, names or info are shared ahead of time), and you both bring along two friends. Everyone on the triple date pays $20 in advance to secure their spots and cover the first round of drinks, then Grouper reps make a reservation for you at a hip locale, such as Stanton Social or Flute Gramercy.
It only took Waxman a week to build the prototype for Grouper in 2011, and by the end of that month, it had made enough money to pay his rent on his apartment, which also functioned as the company’s office headquarters for 13 months. Grouper now employs 20 people and has expanded to 20 cities. Total meetups arranged—including the one where Waxman met his current girlfriend—number in the hundreds of thousands. “Learn to code,” advises the entrepreneur. “Then take something that really bothers you and fix it. If you solve a real problem for yourself, then there are probably others who will appreciate your solution too. Now you have a business.”
We’re always obsessed finding with what’s new and cool, including the NYC companies that’ll be the next big things in their respective niches. Whether you have a brilliant idea for a nouveau pastry hybrid (we’re looking at you, cronuts) or you just want to get out of the trenches and change your career from finance, the first step in your quest to find a better job should start by reading these entrepreneurs’ stories and advice.
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