SuperDate: Love at first byte

As technology evolves, so too does the way we look for love. With the current prevalence of dating apps, it seems we hold an infinite number of potential soul mates in the comfort of our pocket and all we have to do is swipe our finger back and forth like a pendulum until we find a match. And then we do! That initial dopamine rush… those words that flood the screen and your head with endless possibilities… sure it feels great for a fleeting moment, but will you really have anything in common with this person you fictionalised based on a few photos. We recently worked with a brand new dating app SuperDate and caught up with Australian CEO Robert Mrozowski to see if there is such a thing as “love at first byte.”

Tell me a bit about your background?

I have grown up in Brisbane and now live on the Sunshine Coast and have always been very social and love organising activities and fun things with friends.

I have dated for many many years and finally met my dream lady and wife Michelle. One thing Michelle and I both have in common is the ability and love to put people together which has resulted in numerous long relationships, weddings and even families. So why not enable this on a large world wide scale – Superdate. Everybody deserves their someone special and true friendship and contentment.

How did Superdate start?

I have been working on Superdate for over two and a half years with a Canadian mate who knows dating Apps inside out. We realised that people needed a new way of connecting with a person of similar interests, get them off the computer and out into real life.

Tell me a bit about the philosophy behind Superdate?

SuperDate is the next evolution in online dating. The first and only app of its kind. SuperDate is bringing back the date; the tradition of connecting two people through a common activity.Users can view a variety of fun and interesting date ideas and after indicating which ones they are interested in, they can view and message other people who are up for the same thing. We want to bring back romance and real life connection, with women’s safety being at the core of what we do.

Do you think apps like Superdate make it harder to meet people irl and have we lost the art of meeting face to face?

We know meeting in real life through a common activity increases ones likelihood of promoting a real relationship. Research shows that only 5% of people end up in a relationship using current online dating sites and a further 34% using online dating sites have never even met face to face. We want to change those statistics.

In 2012 a bunch of Psychologists from 5 different universities collaborated on a research project to answer this very question. They examined (a) whether online dating is fundamentally different from conventional offline dating and (b) whether online dating promotes better romantic outcomes than conventional offline dating. The answer to the first question is yes, and the answer to the second question is yes and no. What they found was profiles and complex algorithms did not account for real life connection and success in meeting a potential romantic partner. According to their research the biggest predictor of success in a relationship is having similar interests and meeting face to face. But the findings were clear that the online dating arena certainly provides greater opportunities to meet people you wouldn’t ordinarily have access to.  So we are taking the best of both and flipping things around. We are putting real life experience at the forefront of the connection while using the online platform to create greater opportunities to meet.

So in answer to your question. I don’t think people have lost the art of meeting face to face. I just don’t think the online dating space has caught up with how to enable this online to offline ease of connecting. I do think the online dating space has created a void in real life inspiration and romantic connection. We think we can disrupt this space and bring back romance in a fun and authentic way. We believe SuperDate will make it easier to meet people face to face and the sooner they meet the better the outcome or else face possible unpleasant expectancy bias….you build a 3D vision from a 2D platform and the real life meeting doesn’t stack up.

With Superdate’s focus on matching people with common interests, how important do you think having things in common is towards a meaningful relationship?

We are less interested in promoting a profile based assessment mindset. We will enable greater opportunities for experiencing real life common interest activities, as we believe this creates a higher likelihood of compatibility than the current online dating models. The experiential aspects of social interaction are essential to evaluating compatibility with potential partners. You need to hear their voice, laugh together and ensure all the senses are firing. We create greater opportunities for that real life connection.

 Do you believe long lasting relationships can be formed from dating apps?

Most definitely. Our App can also be used by existing couples looking for great dating ideas and assist in re-sparking that something special.

So the Australian launch is coming up in Brisbane soon?

Our first Australian launch location is Brisbane and will include the Gold and Sunshine Coasts. South East QLD boasts a fantastic climate and an immense variety of fun and exciting activities.

Finally, what have you got planned for this Valentine’s Day?

I will be taking my lovely on a Superdate!