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Help please

by losttraveler
5 replies
I want to start a niche dating site but can't use a typical template or script because the idea itself is complicated and would include algorithm(s) that determine compatibility similar to okcupid or Eharmony.

I know it seems like a long shot but I'm confident this could be very successful if done right. I would handle all the marketing, creative content, etc. but the problem is I have no background in programming.

So I've hit a dead end. I'd rather not sell out half of the profits to a programmer, but obviously I'd be willing to pay upfront or work out some sort of deal... I'm new to this so I'm not trying to pitch the idea until I understand more about the process from a business perspective. Any thoughts greatly appreciated.
  • Profile picture of the author Silentkiller1
    You can hire freelancers for programming.
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  • Profile picture of the author miklanderson2
    Someone just posted earlier that they were in the opposite boat. I'd look up that post and see if they're a good match.
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    "A bargain is something you don’t need at a price you can’t resist."
    -Franklin Jones

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    • Profile picture of the author RuggeroSB
      I'm a web developer, and have been in the business for about 8 years now. Have built programs like Wordpress Plugins to internet data scrapers, full-fledged e-commerce platforms and even CRM's from the ground up.

      To build a dating membership site from scratch involves multiple layers of development, and could easily be a project in months (IF DONE RIGHT). There's a huge amount of work (often underestimated by clients) - consider things like developing user profile management, user membership & payment (subscription) management, user registration, user image(s) upload, private messaging, match-making (search algorithm), search filters etc. Each of those usually require a number of functions to be built just to get basic functionality working, such as uploading an image or editing a field. Then there's layout design and integration too, and this is all just off the top of my head while I type this out. I'd estimate a couple of months to get a well-oiled, stable product out - about 1 month for the beta.

      My point is, it's not hard, but it IS time-consuming, and therefore it won't be cheap (again, we're talking about from the ground up and if done right!)

      It's often more cost effective to buy a dating site clone and simply alter it to your needs. That way, all the nitty-gritty work like layouts, CRUDS (create, read, update and delete functionality) will have already been done, and you will also have most of the functionality your require already built and working.

      If none of this deters you and you're serious about this and not just kicking tyres, then feel free to PM me.
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  • Profile picture of the author internalsoul
    @OP you can always try out Skydate dating script. Here is a link to their site :- SkaDate Dating Software | Dating Software with Mobile Apps

    Since you will be managing the whole business, it will be lots of hard work from your end but worth on long run.
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    ANC Discount upto 99% (Adplexity|Adsbridge) | ANC
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  • Profile picture of the author losttraveler
    Thanks for the replies and suggestions!

    @Ruggero, I sent you a PM
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