Editor’s note: This article was first published in February 2014, and its details, including the price (about $20,000 for 8 dates over 2 years), the client list (Facebook, Google, LinkedIn) and the recent popularity of the events, are from then and may have changed.
In the middle of the tech era, with giants like eDarling and Match.com dominating online dating, a businesswoman named Amy Andersen, nicknamed “the Silicon Valley cupid”, has built a profitable business in romantic matchmaking for clients who, ironically, have a distinctly tech profile.
Successful young men in Silicon Valley tend to be consumed by work, so they don’t have much time to look for a partner. Online dating was supposed to be the answer, a way to speed things up, but it seems tech lovers would rather meet their partners in person than post a profile on a dating site. That is where Amy Andersen comes in. She founded Linxdating.com in 2000 to arrange real-life dates through networking events or one-to-one introductions.
(Read: Four controversial but profitable business ideas)
Andersen’s clients include employees of Facebook, Google and LinkedIn, among many other Silicon Valley companies. And they are not only tech people: her clients also include lawyers, health professionals and people in finance.
Hiring Andersen isn’t cheap. Her services cost around $20,000, which entitles you to 8 dates over 2 years.
As a professional in this field, of course, Andersen doesn’t just set up dates. She coaches her clients according to their personality type, helping them highlight their competitive advantages in the dating market and hide their possible flaws, bearing in mind that Silicon Valley has everything from the introverted nerd to the most outgoing businessman.
Andersen’s networking events, held in luxury hotels in the style of a private party, have become very popular lately. In fact, they are the ideal place to find a young, wealthy man. Reportedly, though, Andersen doesn’t only analyse her clients: she also tries to study the profile of the women who come to her parties, looking for compatibility between both sides rather than simply letting in “gold diggers”.
(Read: Amy Andersen’s 6 tips to help successful people succeed on a date)
What is the secret of Amy Andersen’s business success?
Without a doubt, the key to Andersen’s success in the dating business is exclusivity. There are similar services that are free, and others with very low monthly fees, but Andersen’s business is exclusive: it doesn’t just get you a date, it coaches and prepares you to be a more interesting person on that date.
She spotted a need among people who work in tech and know the advantages it brings, yet find that not even technology can match the feeling of meeting someone in person.
By all accounts, she takes care of every last detail at her events so that both her clients and their dates feel special, in a setting fully designed to bring out the charm.
Further reading
- 7 businesses aimed at millionaires that you probably didn’t know existed
- 5 businesses you won’t believe exist
Featured image: Kevin Dooley, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr.
