How I Was Nearly Seduced by Grouper, the Biggest Sham in Online Dating (Updated)

A ages ago, I was approached by Jerry Guo, apparent Silicon Alley wunderkind who'd angry $400 in alteration money into Grouper, a assisting dating startup. He affirmed me a abundant time with "3 absolute girls." Update: Guo apologizes (sorta)

The accomplished site's a lie.

I was absorbed in the abstraction of a accumulation date, even as a funny diversion. It's a camp idea: a three-on-three dark date. So sure, why not? It'd go horribly, of course—but it'd be something to address about, and a atypical yield on online dating, for a change. So I gave Jerry a "Sure, why not" response, and affected the blow would be bland from there.

Besides, it articulate affectionate of fascinating! At atomic in the way Jerry declared it:

We accept a 2:1 girl:guy arrangement appropriate now and it's appealing abundant the alone app I can anticipate of area afterwards 1 min of plan (giving us your FB credentials) you can accommodated 3 absolute girls and area we've done all the work, cover ambience up anxiety at an alarming lounge. Also some absolutely air-conditioned tech on the backend in agreement of analogous / logistics.

Girls! Air-conditioned tech! Logistics! Facebook integration! This was some next akin cyberlove shit, and I capital to blink abaft the curtain. I asked Jerry for added advice on what he alleged a "(very sophisticated) logistical engine," and he beatific me some images of their aback end.

There was no algorithm. No adult acumen engine. Just a annual of names.

Next to them was the assets they'd listed for themselves, forth with other, acutely banal information. Grouper is the agnate of acrimonious six names out of a hat, and acquisitive they all bone. Oh, and of course, Jerry's authoritative $20 a arch for anybody acquisitive for amateur date action. The amount to him? However abundant time it takes to aces three girls for three guys, and Google a bar for them to accommodated at. This is a low-rent operation. While I was addition this out, I was accepting ceaseless calls from Jerry, still acquisitive I'd go out on a affected date I knew was cobbled calm from the abundance of bisected broiled internet schlock. Multiple calls, every day.

We eventually went on the date. The somewhat-ominously referred to "girls" Jerry kept able us materialized, and we basically anon afraid them off. The accomplished affair lasted beneath than 10 minutes.

So it's no abruptness he's been alleged out as a fraud. It's not the aboriginal time, afterwards all. And it's no abruptness he's abandoning Grouper already. His website is an abandoned husk. I've talked to the humans at Match.com—they apply absolute teams to try to adumbrate who'll atom some brawny winks with a stranger. There's austere science put into these austere dating sites. Grouper, on the added hand, is a charlatan's Russian roulette—only the gun's adjoin your head. The affliction case scenario, that you're out $20 and a few hours of your life, isn't so bad. But in the meantime, Jerry's foisted himself aloft the tech arena as a pioneer, innovator, and matchmaker. He's none of these things—just a apathetic affected who's amative for attention, and admission to your Facebook account.

Update: Jerry Guo's posted an acknowledgment on his Tumblr, BetaBeat reports, admitting not for active a shitty website. Rather, he's fessing up to assuming to be a announcer in adjustment to accretion cabal ability from addition amusing arrangement so that he could accomplish said shitty website. At atomic he's on the angelic aisle to expiation.