The hater dating app was pitched in Shark Tank in 2017 by founder Brendan Alper. He was seeking $200,000 for 5% equity in his unique dating app that matched people based on shared dislikes rather than common interests.
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Hater App Pitch on Shark Tank
Alper presented the hater app to the Sharks as a way for singles to connect through shared annoyances and pet peeves. Users would swipe on over 3,000 topics to indicate whether they hated, disliked, liked or loved something. They would then be matched with other users who hated and disliked the same things.
At the time of the pitch, hater had over 500,000 users but no revenue. Alper had invested his entire 401K into the startup. He impressed several of the Sharks with his concept. Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec and Mark Cuban all made offers. Ultimately, Alper accepted Cuban’s offer of $200,000 for 7.5% equity plus 2.5% in advisory shares.
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Post Shark Tank Success
After securing a deal with Cuban, the hater app saw continued growth. In its first year, the app hit over 1 million downloads. It also attracted significant buzz in the startup world for its unique twist on online dating.
However, while the app saw initial success, it apparently struggled to sustain that momentum. In 2018, there were reports that Hater had been removed from both the iOS App Store and Google Play store. Its Twitter account and website also went inactive around this time.
Challenges Faced
The hater app likely faced a few key challenges that led to its downfall:
- Limited revenue options: As a free app, Hater had to rely on advertising, premium subscriptions or in-app purchases to generate revenue. But it may have struggled to implement effective monetization strategies.
- Stiff competition: The online dating space has huge players like Tinder, Bumble and Hinge. Standing out with a niche app can be difficult over the long run.
- User retention issues: While the concept drew initial interest, keeping users engaged over time with a niche dating app proved challenging.
What is Founder Brendan Alper Doing Now?
These days, Alper seems focused on a new startup called Everbloom. Launched in 2019, Everbloom is a platform that allows YouTubers and influencers to launch their own NFT drops.
So, while the hater app didn’t achieve long-term success, Alper has moved on to new entrepreneurial ventures in the digital space.
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Summary
- Hater dating app secured a $200K investment from Mark Cuban on Shark Tank in 2017
- The app matched singles based on shared pet peeves and annoyances
- Hater saw initial traction but was removed from app stores by 2018
- Founder Brendan Alper is now working on Everbloom, an NFT platform
While the hater app captured attention with its counterintuitive approach to dating, its long-term viability proved difficult. Still, the exposure from Shark Tank helped put hater on the map as one of the more unique dating app ideas to emerge in recent years.
