by Manny Manzel and Conor Crighton, co-founders of Crossed
The two of us come from dramatically different backgrounds. Manny is from New York City, and Conor is from the Cayman Islands. Yet we had the same complaints about conventional social networking and dating apps: they seem more interested in gamifying users than helping them meet like-minded people and form genuine connections. At the same time, they expose users to a large percentage of fake accounts and people who never intend to meet in the real world.
One Saturday night, when we were seniors in college, we were hanging out on the roof of a parking garage when we started imagining a different kind of app — one that would fulfill its promise to help people find meaningful relationships.
The problem with conventional social networking apps
Many users experience conventional dating apps as draining. Indeed, one study found that up to 78 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 54 report at least some degree of fatigue or burnout from these platforms.
Meanwhile, the waters conventional dating apps offer are full of catfish and other nonviable contacts. For instance, a survey of Tinder users found that almost two-thirds were in relationships already, and half weren’t actually willing to meet up in person.
These numbers reflect a painful reality that we and our friends were living through. Someone would become excited about a new person they had met online just to find out later that they were based on the other side of the state. Other people would suddenly be ghosted or discover they had been corresponding with a fake account. Nearly everyone felt weighed down by the decision fatigue of swiping on one profile after another.
We were sick of it. But we still had faith that technology could be used to meet people’s need for social connection. What if social networking apps didn’t have to be that way? What if technology could be leveraged in a deliberate, purposeful way to forge real-world, authentic relationships? What would an app like that look like?
Those questions launched us on our mission to create a next-generation social networking and dating app that doesn’t suffer from the problems of its predecessors.
Going beyond dating
Getting the idea for this new app was like falling in love with technology again. The two of us talked for hours that Saturday night and then all Sunday, bouncing ideas off one another. For weeks afterward, we stayed up until 4 a.m. every night, brainstorming designs and features.
One of our critical decisions was to create a broad-based platform that could serve people looking for all kinds of relationships, not just romantic ones. That’s why we decided to offer three apps in one.
Named Crossed, our app has three separate modalities — one for dating, of course, but two others for Friendship and Business (professional networking). Just because someone might not be interested in dating doesn’t mean they should be cut off from other opportunities to expand their social connections. Users can be active in all three modes but can also refrain from participating in a given mode if it isn’t for them.
Another key decision was to prioritize geographic proximity.
Next-generation proximity-based matching
Unlike most social networking apps, which permit users to set their location manually and, therefore, also allow them to lie, our app uses geolocation technology on their devices. The app rides along with the members of our community as they go about their ordinary lives.
Maybe the person goes to the park to read a book, take their dog on a walk, or swing by the coffee shop for an afternoon pick-me-up. With every place they go, they open up possible connections without even trying since our app pays attention and scans the environment for other members of our community.
If two users cross paths, traveling within 150 meters of each other, the app alerts them to the possible connection. The users can then check each other’s profiles and decide whether or not to initiate a conversation. All communications on the platform are protected with the highest level of security.
The power of connection
The two of us met by chance, introduced through a mutual friend during our junior year of college. Before then, we had always seen each other around, but we had never actually talked. Once we were introduced to each other, however, we quickly became close friends, hanging out nearly every day. Now, we are business partners who have launched a business together.
Our personal story shows how important friendships and other relationships are. With more connections come more possibilities. Crossed is the social networking app we wish we’d had. Just imagine the sparks it can create and the positive effect it can have on people’s lives.
Deployed skillfully, technology has the power to help people form meaningful relationships in this hyper-digital age. The landscape of social networking and online dating will never be the same.
Manny Manzel, co-founder and CEO of Crossed, is a visionary entrepreneur with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tampa. He created Crossed to redefine networking with innovative technology that allows people to build meaningful connections, whether for romantic connections, friendships, or professional growth. Manny’s dedication and bold vision make Crossed poised to transform the networking landscape, empowering users to forge authentic connections.
Conor Crighton, co-founder and COO of Crossed, expertly transforms ideas into tangible products. His personal experiences with the inefficiencies of existing dating apps motivated him to create something better. He saw the potential for a platform that could offer more than just fleeting swipes and created one that’s intentional about cultivating lasting connections.
