“You do it, because you like to do it, you don’t do it for the money”, Fabian Baier tells about his life as Serial Entrepreneur and Founder of Wingder. “Everyone is an entrepreneur, everyone is an innovator, you can be an entrepreneur, an innovator as well, it doesn’t matter what your background is”, he thinks.

It is now almost 4 months since I was driving down the roads of Lake Tahoe back to San Francisco. I was staying there over the weekend with my good friend Dominik Schubert who visitted me from Germany. We had a great talk about what could make meeting people in the Mobile Internet more social. Especially as a Power User of Tinder and with over 1700 matches I felt like they were on something, but yet the certain something was missing. Wasting daily time on Tinder by literally short messaging new matches “Hi, how are you”, “good”, “how was your day”, “good” I knew though I am a social guy somehow everyone around me was not even bothering to have a normal converstion like the one you would have in a bar or a club. It almost looked like people became exchangable, commodities of their own, always searching for the next something and behaving like there would be no moral certainty. And then, there it was, the idea that would take most of my time and money for the next 4 months. How about if we add a component to the simplicity in seeing the Mobile Internet around you, how about if this component is designed to make it even better, faster and more social. How about if we are shifting from a egocentric to an allocentric way of meeting new people. That is Wingder.

Being an entrepreneur is everything, but easy. So I feel every day tremendously blessed to design great products, great ideas and to work with great people. I want to deeply thank everyone who is supporting my team, Wingder and me in our endeavor of making the Mobile Internet a better place!

How does Wingder help you?

Wingder facilitates communication between people with similar interests. It helps you foster your social relations with your existing friends – by selecting a Wingman/Wingwoman – to find new people (together), similar to double dating aka a double meetup or “Wingders”. By having a friend as your wingman or woman you are able to share the experience. Wingder is really the social glue in all types of relationships whether it be for double dating, setting up double tennis matches, hanging with the guys, planning a fun girls night out, meeting other couples for drinks etc. This is what makes Wingder different from all the other online social apps out there.

Wingder is a fun new way to meet people right at your fingertips!

Based on location the app filters out people who ‘like’ you and your wingman/woman. “online (mobile) dating is huge, but people are frustrated. Matches online have a low meet up rate in the real world. People have therefore become discouraged by the lack of quality and follow through of their matches and thus have an ADHD approach to online dating” according to Baier. With Wingder, Baier is giving us a solution to the people matching problem. Double dates between mutually interested groups, or group-to-group interaction is more social and less intimidating that one-on-one interaction. Wingder’s method lets users connect among friends and makes real world meetings easier. The app itself is user-friendly as it is optimized for simplicity but does not compromise privacy.

Social Discovery is the next wave after Social Networking

Connecting users with other users through location based technology has steadily increased in popularity since Foursquare was founded in 2009 and many others such as Tinder are taking up various aspects of social discovery. Social discovery is becoming a trend and the market for it is huge. This is where Baier stepped in with Windger, as he saw an opportunity to implement his idea. He goes on by saying that “most apps are complicated and provide a bad user experience, believe me, I know. Our focus at Wingder is doing this one thing right. We analyzed the existing apps and found a solution. An easier way to enhance consumer experience, and lets face it, it’s all about the experience”. This entrepreneur plans to create a safe and respectful community where monetizing is secondary. It is all about creating an enjoyable experience for the user. “We want to help improve the way people socialize, so for now we aren’t about charging money for it. Connecting people is reward enough”, Baier said.

Wingder, select a friend and give it a go!

Lets be honest. No one likes to wait. So if you’re going to be more than 15 minutes late, let your date know via a text. Its just common courtesy, but if you’re trying to be “fashionably” late, that could be another story, I would stick to 5-10 minutes.

2. Be interested

During the date, make sure to listen and be engaged. Don’t be looking around while your date is talking or worse, yawning away. Make sure to show your interest and they will do the same.

3. Eye Contact

Is a must! Keeping eye contact helps engage the other person and shows your interest in them. It also strengthens your bond with the person.

4. Pay attention to your date, not your phone

The ultimate no no! This generation is all about the smartphone and although we are conversing on Social Media Platforms the social aspect face to face is impacted negatively. There’s nothing worse than feeling ignored when someone else is on the phone. After all, you’ve got the date; you’ve made an effort to meet. Give the person a chance and put your phone down. Better yet, don’t even take it out. You can check it from time to time if you’re expecting an important call but otherwise give your date your undivided attention.

5. DON’T be rude to the waiter/hostess

One of my personal pet peeves is when the person I’m with is rude or mean to the hostess or waiter that is serving us. Just because they are waiting on us doesn’t give us the right to treat them as any less of a human being. At the end of the day, being polite is just good sense and shows your date how well mannered you really are.

6. Offer to split the bill

Ladies, please take note. Yes, as a gentleman the guy will offer to pay the bill, however it’s just nice to offer to split the bill. Shows that you are considerate and not a gold digger.

7. DON’T underdress

Ladies, no lu lu lemon’s or oversized sweatshirts and men, please shower and leave the pajama pants at home. Basically the rule here is dress to impress. I’m not saying wear a ball gown or tuxedo, but at the very least make an effort to groom yourself, wear something clean and ironed and dress for the occasion!

8. DON’T escape in the middle of the date

No jumping out of bathroom windows or sneaking out in the middle of the date. If you realize early on that this isn’t the person you want to have a 2nd or 3rd date with, simply be polite. Don’t go for the second drink, don’t order dessert and have a valid excuse (as in you have to work early tomorrow).

9. DON’T ask where this date is going (i.e.: do they think that this will lead to marriage)

I’m pretty sure that after your first date or two, you wont know if this is Mr. or Mrs. Right, it takes time. Its okay to ask what the person’s short term or long term plans are (thank you Steve Harvey) however it is not okay to start talking about future kids names or where your house will be in the next 3 -5 years.

10. DON’T do major PDA especially in a public place or when you are on a double date

Couples, if you are on a double date, please keep the PDA to a minimum. It isn’t a contest. Being affectionate with one another is one thing, but having a full on make out session in public when you are out with friends is another. Get a room or go home to yours!

11. DON’T get wasted

You would think this is a no brainer, however, liquid courage is usually the first item on the menu. Yes it calms down nerves but please note that there is a difference between social drinking and drinking to get intoxicated. You should also be aware of your own limits, so if you haven’t eaten all day, that second glass of wine should probably wait till after appetizers.

12. Involve everyone in the conversation

Make sure everyone is having a good time and involve everyone in the conversation. If you see someone being quiet ask questions and take some interested in topics that they are interested in.

At the end of the day, it’s all about getting to know your date or the people you are on a double date with! So get out there and have fun!

Wingder brings people together on double dates for social meetups. Matching groups of 4 folks is our business, and we are damn good at it!

We have created this awesome social experience for you and your friends to see whats out there but do so with your BFF! Wingder takes the online “dating” experience to the next level!
So what makes WINGDER different? What makes us so unique when it comes to online dating? Why is double dating the answer? Here we explain why:

The short answer:

WINGDER makes the experience more social – as simple as that. Think of your normal go to person, we are just incorporating them into the experience and making it a win-win for you both. People in general like to have a sense of belonging, our social structures are comprised of communities, whether it be families, friends or people with similar interests. This is where WINGDER comes in. We take this structure and have incorporated it into our own online dating app.

We, the people behind WINGDER, know from personal experience how difficult it has been to convert online conversations to in-person dates, sometimes it takes a while or for the most part its just a strange experience to meet someone one on one when you don’t know them that well. WINGDER eliminates this awkwardness, since your WINGPAL is someone you already know!

How it works: 2+ 2 = 4

So you open the app, select a Wingman, or as we call it Wingpal, from your friendslist, and then you are matched with your friend.

Instead of having your own profile that gets displayed to other users, you and your Wingpal have a joint profile. This profile can be swiped right (like) or left (dislike) by other users who also have a joint profile. If at least one of each parties swiped right, you have a match and a group chat appears.

The charming thing about our app is that its NOT limited to online dating. It goes beyond that and you can find friends or other couples with similar interests. For example, even if you are married and have a child you can select your wife as your wingpal and meet just mutual couples to socialize or you can find people to match for a tennis double…the options are endless and we leave it open to YOU as to how you want to use it and for what you use it for!

Holla Back!