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As many dating apps have been losing users and reshaping their strategies, Hinge has emerged as a brand to beat. In the second quarter of this year, Bumble’s paying user base was down 8.7% year over year and revenue dropped 7.6%. Tinder, which is owned by Hinge parent company Match Group, has lost 1.2 million paid users since the beginning of 2024 and saw revenues drop 4.6% in Q2 2025. Meanwhile Hinge notched a 25% year-over-year increase in revenue and 18% growth in paying users for the quarter. The secret, according to cofounder and CEO Justin McLeod, speaking at the Fast Company Innovation Festival, are two principles that have guided the company since its early daysand one that is emerging alongside broader use of AI. They are: Prioritize the free experience Long before Cory Doctorow coined the term enshittification in 2022 to describe the process by which once-useful online platforms slowly get less user-friendly as they attempt to improve their bottom line, daters on apps had experienced it firsthand. Many apps have added monetization strategies that seem at odds with the goal of connecting singles: They push users to paid versions by degrading the free experience. McLeod said Hinge is different because it actually wants to live up to its “designed to be deleted” tagline. It is absolutely in our best interest to keep the free product experience very good, because if its not, users will start leaving, McLeod said. And the primary value for a dating app is the other people who are on the product. No one will continue to pay if there arent lots of people on the app who are happy and satisfied using it.” Hinge is also selling premium tools, including the ability to filter potential dates based on things like height and political preferences, plus features like Roses (which users can send to express extra interest) and Boosts (which allow someone’s profile to be seen by more people for a limited amount of time). The trick, McLeod said, is being strategic by charging for features that aren’t necessary but that nevertheless improve the experience for people who are willing to pay for them. What we charge for is basically things that we cant give away for free, things that are valuable because theyre scarce, he said. If you had unlimited Roses, then they wouldnt mean anything. If everyone is showing up more [via profile Boosts], nobody is showing up. Build for underserved users One of the newer features McLeod outlined is Match Note, which was built with LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent users in mind. Launched in February, it allows users to disclose certain information with matches before chattingdetails that some might not want to put in a public profile, such as their gender identity or communication style. Its a way for them to avoid hard, awkward conversation with every single person after you match, McLeod said, noting that Hinge worked with organizations TransTech Social and Disability:IN. It was designed for [these groups] but weve actually found that single parents use it, people with STIs use it, McLeod said. All kinds of different people will use this feature, which just increases the general usability and accessibility of the app for everybody. Make AI features useful Though McLeod noted that machine learning has underpinned Hinges algorithm since it launched, he said the company has more recently been using generative AI strategically to improve users’ profiles and how they communicate with others. The new Prompt Feedback feature encourages users to answer profile prompts more fully, preventing short answers that might be unhelpful to potential matches. It doesnt necessarily cut generationally, McLeod explained. But certainly some people, especially in the realm of social media, have atrophied social skills and need a bit more help showing up and connecting with other people. He said Hinge also uses generative AI to help users choose the best photos, and it employs AI for a feature called Are you sure? that double-checks with a user before sending a message that might not be well-received. There are a lot of what we call accidental bad actors, who aren’t quite contextually aware of what’s an inappropriate thing to send at this stage in the conversation, he said. We can help nudge them in the right direction. McLeod said that down the road he sees AI leading to much more personalized matches: Three to five years from nowsooner, honestlyit will feel relatively arcane that you had to go through hundreds of profiles in order to get out on a date.
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E-Commerce
Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, declared, “Clear communication is necessary to management success.” The paradigmatic virtues of clarity and completeness have long guided how we define successful business communication. This traditional insistence on precision and transparency is pervasive, guiding our endeavors to craft effective messages. However, as we peel back the layers of this deeply entrenched notion, it becomes apparent that both our personal and professional endeavors often benefit from a more nuanced approach. Ambiguity, often stigmatized as a hallmark of miscommunication and inefficiency, can actually serve as a strategic tool. Below, we unpack the value of strategic ambiguity and explore when and how it can be deployed effectively. The Value of Clarity and Completeness At the heart of business communication lie the principles of clarity and completenessa commitment to the accurate and clear transmission of all relevant information. These are encapsulated in and taught through common tools like the MECE (mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive) principle or the Minto pyramid method, which breaks a central message into a clear and complete hierarchy of reasons and assumptions. The aim of such tools is to provide clarity through logically structuring all relevant ideas and information. In many instances this approach to communication is indeed desirable. Imagine a corporate memo detailing a change in organizational structure. An ambiguous or incomplete message could lead to confusion, unchecked speculation, suspicion or misaligned efforts and would certainly reduce operational effectiveness. Or, envision a one-on-one circumstance such as performance review where important future changes are needed. If the requested change is unclear or the goal amorphous, desired actions and ultimately retention might be in jeopardy. In these cases, clarity and completeness of what needs changing and why would be essential to effective implementation. The Utility of Ambiguity Striving for clarity and completeness is not always appropriate, however. For example, it might inadvertently signal finality and inflexibility when the situation calls for exploration. Or it might lead to bluntness and offense in dealing with sensitive subjects. Purposeful ambiguity can serve as a useful tool in many sticky communication situations. What, then, is the difference between productive and unproductive ambiguity? When and how should deliberate ambiguity be deployed to obtain the best communication outcomes? Probing and Exploring Ambiguity can be used to encourage engagement, dialogue, and collaboration. In situations like negotiating or initiating partnerships, avoiding stating proposals too clearly may signal finality and inflexibility when it can be more productive to ask questions, tell stories, or suggest multiple possibilities. For example, if you are trying to determine your bosss risk tolerance for an innovative idea you have, you might tell a story about another organization implementing a similar idea to gauge her reaction rather than directly asserting your desired course of action. Unlocking Opportunities Ambiguity can act as a catalyst for collaborative uncovering of opportunities and innovation. It provides a fertile ground for multiple interpretations and thus inviting exploration and encouraging creative suggestions. Consider a brainstorming session where a leader initiates ideation by simply posing open-ended questions without defining a clear goal. The ambiguity invites more ingenuity as a productive path to eventual focus and clarity. Face-Saving and Flexibility In scenarios where building and preserving relationships and saving face are crucial, ambiguity can help. Nothing is more corrosive to collaboration and innovation than inducing fear or defensiveness by striking sensitive topics with the precision of a missile, especially when the topic is incidental to the purpose of the communication. Nuanced communication can nurture potential hurt feelings and maintain psychological safety. For example, when giving a superior constructive feedback, the reception and effect may be multiplied if it is combined with positive feedback, if details are sufficient to communicate the point but dont go so far as precipitating a defensive reaction, or if only selective aspects are put forth. An appropriate level of ambiguity maximizes the possibility of the message being embraced, demonstrates goodwill, preserves the working relationship, and increases the probability that best efforts will be applied. Implying Commitment without Taking a Stance Any number of situations exist where we are asked to take a position that might put us at a disadvantage. In such situations, deploying ambiguity can fulfill the requirement to respond and can validate the other parties intent while leaving possibilities open. Making statements like This is an important issue does not clearly delineate a stance, but can signal receipt of the message or respect for the question. Similarly, telling a prospect interested in a currently unplanned product feature would be very useful implies that the feature will be considered without committing to it. When ambiguity can help Here are some examples of specific situations where using ambiguity strategically could be helpful. 1 Negotiations: Ambiguity can prevent deadlock or the premature convergence on a suboptimal outcome, allowing negotiators to explore a broader range of acceptable outcomes. This facilitates a more flexible and adaptable approach to reaching a more mutually beneficial agreement. 2 Marketing: In marketing luxury goods, strategic ambiguity can create an aspirational allure, emphasizing associations and aesthetics over concrete details. A Dior perfume advertisement might, for example, focus on the elegance and prestige conveyed by the product, rather than its chemical composition or price. 3 Intervening in Complex Systems: For processes that are too intricate to detail completely, ambiguity can help focus attention on essential aspects while granting flexibility in execution. For example, in a luxury hotels customer service protocol, specifying core principles of hospitality may be more effective than detailing every conceivable scenario, creating an unwieldy standard operating procedure, which is impossible to operationalize. 4 Inspiring others: To inspire and motivate, sometimes the exact steps are less important than the overall vision and values. A recruit might be more drawn to a companys aspirational, more vague goals rather than specific tactical details. Directionality over specificity allows recipients to more easily hear what they want to find in the message. The toolkit The tools of strategic ambiguity are as varied as the purposes for which they can be deployed. Leveraging the advantages of ambiguity involves mastering som of the following specific techniques. 1 Metaphors, Similes, & Analogies: Convey ideas abstractly by comparison with other situations.Example: Our current financial situation is akin to a battle. 2 Selective Detailing: Choose details that imply your point of view without declaring it in detail.Example: Say, “The room is warm,” rather than requesting the window be open. 3 Reframing: Use higher-level abstractions to focus on broader connections.Example: A specific question about why something is so expensive is reframed as a question about value. 4 Word Choice & Phrasing: Employ strategic word choices to imply, suggest, or cushion.Example: This course of action is certified. 5 Open-Ended Questions: Foster directed dialogue and exploration.Example: What are the criteria for success? 6 Scenarios: Scenario planning can illustrate potential outcomes hypothetically, without commitment.Example: Referencing cases that align with your goal. Deciding when and how to be ambiguous As with all high-stakes, strategic communication, we must consider the goal and context to help craft effective messages. In defining our messages, we must think about what we want our audience to know, feel, and do. Further, we need to consider how they will feel about our discussion topic and its associations. In situations where these might invite concern, confusion, or consternation, making our message more ambiguous might invite better acceptance and engagement. Additionally, all communication occurs in a social context that defines what is accepted and expected. We must consider these norms along with the spoken and unspoken rules around clarity. For example, in the midst of a surgery or when flying an airplane, there is an expectation of clear, concise communication between professionals that outweighs some of the negative repercussions of communicating in such a direct manner. Ethics must be considered While ambiguity can be advantageous, it bears ethical implications. Purposeful ambiguity should not be wielded to mislead or deceive but rather to foster mutually beneficial outcomes. Each communication situation needs to net out the benefit versus potential optics of being ambiguous. While potentially more demanding, this vetting will allow for better socio-emotional and task outcomes. In our pursuit of effective communication, strategic ambiguity offers a valuable dimension to business communication. It can foster flexibility, nurture creativity, and manage relational dynamics, sometimes achieving what unerring clarity and comprehensiveness cannot. By embracing ambiguity judiciously, business leaders and communicators create better paths to eventual clarity and beneficial outcomes
Category:
E-Commerce
When you think of podcasting, you probably picture chart-topping celebrities and shows from major publishersnames like The Joe Rogan Experience, Armchair Expert, Call Her Daddy, MeidasTouch, and others. But heres the reality: Its the smaller, independent creators who dominate the podcast world. The vast majority of the approximately 435,000 actively publishing podcasts are independentscreators operating outside the umbrella of major media companiesand they play a huge role in the industrys ability to maintain its freshness and authenticity. Theyre also important to strengthening the financial foundation of the entire podcasting market. Thats because, for the advertisers that drive podcastings growth, indies are not just plentifultheyre powerful. Their hosts excel in fostering loyal, highly engaged communities built on trust and direct connection. In an era when consumers crave authenticity and can be wary of larger media companies, indie podcasters offer a unique bridge between brands and audiences. Because of this, they’ve become essential partners in any serious audio strategy. The mediums recent shift to video threatens to undermine all of that. Not only are the additional demands of video production potentially a larger burden to independents, but if podcast advertisers shift their budgets to video, they risk defunding indie podcasts that arent moving in that direction. Without funding from ads, many indie podcasts will suffer, hurting the entire market in the process. Why indies matter Its important to remember that independence is central to the culture of podcasting. The idea has always been that podcasting had a low barrier to entry, meaning that anyone with a point of view could start one. This not only resulted in a huge range of podcasts covering a variety of niche subjectsallowing listeners to curate according to their own interestsbut also a built-in authenticity, creating a deep connection between creators and listeners. This intimate relationship, still enjoyed by independent podcasts, has always delivered value for advertisers. Our research shows that not only do indie podcasts feature more and longer host-read adspodcastings most effective advertising formatbut theyre 37% more likely to hit their performance targets when compared with those on larger network podcasts. And indies tend to offer more creative options, and their ads are about 50% more likely to continue to deliver advertisers impressions for months, or even indefinitely, after the initial insertion. By comparison, podcasts from major media companies face bureaucracy that can slow down creative decision-making and lead to safer, less innovative content. They also operate under brand safety mandates and scale requirements that can restrict experimentation. Infrastructural and perception barriers limit the agility and authenticity that independent podcasters exercise freely, rapidly adapting content, collaborating personally with advertisers, and taking creative risks that resonate deeply with engaged niche audiences. The right balance Yes, independent podcasters may have smaller, niche audiences, limiting the broad reach needed for large-scale awareness campaigns. And they may lack business infrastructure and legal expertise, complicating outreach, contracts, media and analytics operations, or compliance. Thats why its important for podcasting media plans to include a mix of major and independent titles in order to earn the benefits (and offset the weaknesses) of both. Instead, many advertisers are forfeiting potential earnings by allowing indies to get left behind; podcast advertising revenue continues to concentrate among top-ranked shows, with the top 500 receiving nearly half of all ad spend. And as podcasting shifts to video, that imbalance may get worse. Brands know that major podcast networks bring scale, consistency, and reach. Its often an easily executed media buy. But a good media plan requires balance, especially if the goal is to preserve the independent spirit that has made podcasting such a powerful medium. Both in ROI and cultural impact, indie podcasts are worth protecting, and brands must invest accordingly.
Category:
E-Commerce
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