Product Perspective: Bumble
This past week on Product Breakdown, we had a chance to cover and talk about Bumble.
For those chiming in for the first time Product Breakdown, where we talk about our experiences with different products and some things we would possibly improve to the product. In addition to hosting these rooms, I share my own personal perspectives on each product that we cover.
1).Company/Product Overview
Congratulations to the entire Bumble team on their recent IPO filing and becoming a publicly-traded company.
Bumble was originally founded in 2014 by Whitney Wolfe Herd, with the intent to empower more women to make the first move when it comes to messaging in the dating/romance world.
The app has expanded from its original intention of dating only to include other modes such as Bumble BFF & Bumble Biz.
Bumble BFF is a mode where the users can find other people to meet other people and become possible friends.
Bumble Biz is another mode where users can connect with others for potential business/career opportunities.
Since the official launch in 2015, they have scaled from 1 million users to 42 million users. Of the 42 million users in 2020, around 1.2 million users are paying users. Bumble is currently available on both IOS & Android
Like other mobile apps, Bumble follows the Freemium business model, where customers get to use an app for free with the option to upgrade by paying for premium features. Some apps/products have this structured as a recurring monthly subscription fee or a one-time fee from what I have seen.
Here is a breakdown of all the features that are included in Bumble Premium.
2). My Perspective on Bumble
Throughout the years, I have used the app avidly so I don't necessarily have too many issues or flaws to point out.
While I think it’s great that there are various modes for the Bumble app, I haven’t used Bumble BFF or Bumble Bizz.
Having additional options for users to meet folks allows more possible retention of existing & new users. Some folks may have moved to a new city and are just looking to meet new people.
The one thing that stands out to me that’s a differentiator in my opinion is having a limited time to respond to a match. These incentives/encourage those users who want to actually engage with matches to do so.
3). Conclusion
Overall, I would say Bumble provides users with a relatively different experience compared to some of the other dating apps out there.
With other dating apps, all looking for their own distinct competitive edge, Bumble has theirs by empowering women to make the first move.
It will be interesting to see whether other apps choose to duplicate a similar dynamic when it comes to who can send the first message.
Would love to get other people’s thoughts as well on their experience using Bumble.