As online dating increases in popularity and the market expands to cater to more singles, it follows that the range of added services looking to compliment the online dating experience will also grow.
Ranging from profile picture photography to AI-infused personal dating assistants, most of these services seek to improve online dating either by simplifying it or aiding those struggling with the process.
One product that wants to help singles is Hermes, a new live advice platform that connects daters with experts so they can ask for dating advice in real time.
Created by a team of date coaches with over seven years experience – Lior Gotesman, Lauren Dawes and Jiron Tan – Hermes offers “instant texting advice” to a male audience.
As the Hermes site explains: “Ever spend way too long composing the “perfect” text message, or had no clue where to start? Hermes can help.
“Hermes is a uniquely designed communication platform for privately sharing and discussing your text conversations with our team of experts. In short, it gets you instant texting advice from dating experts.”
Although currently offering free trials, for instant advice the online platform charges $13 for 30 minutes of advice, and $39 for two hours.
With the first two payment levels, Hermes will “break down what’s happening in any screenshot you upload”, as well as writing exact text messages users can copy, paste and send.
With the two hour plan, Hermes’ experts will instruct users how to reply in real time.
Those looking for constant assistance can shell out $97 for “unlimited expert advice” for one week – which includes getting singles “up and running” on dating apps and writing profiles – or $199 a month to “never worry about your dating life”.
GDI recently spoke to founder Lior Gotesman about the Hermes product, why the team created it, and the growing market for outsourcing online dating.
Read an edited version of the interview below.
What is Hermes? How does the product work?
Staring at that blank “send her a message” field on a dating app? Wondering what to text that girl? You need Hermes. We instantly connect you with a dating expert, and give you advice for your unique situation in real-time. You can upload screenshots of your text conversations, and an expert will immediately analyze what’s happening and recommend what you should say next.
Why did you want to build Hermes?
Personally, I grew up as your average computer nerd, and struggled for years before learning how to get the fulfilling dating life I always wanted. The other experts have similar stories. But we realized this stuff isn’t hard to master if you have instant access to great advice.
Modern dating has been changing rapidly. If you search the internet, it’s surprisingly hard to get good advice about dating in the era of texts, emojis, snaps and swipes. That’s why we built Hermes!
What is Hermes’ backstory? When did it launch and how many users does it have?
In early 2016, I set up a private chatroom to help my friends text girls. They’d post screenshots of their conversations, and I’d give them advice and suggest what they should say next. When months went by and my friends were still posting to this chatroom nonstop, I realized this is a service that lots of men need, and that no one else is offering.
We launched Hermes in December and we already have our first 1,000 users. We constantly receive enthusiastic feedback (see the testimonials at the bottom of our home page). We think millions of men will be joining soon because the value to their lives is so tangible.
What categories of advice does Hermes offer? What if an issue isn’t linked to one of the given topics?
Hermes is a resource for men (over 18) to get advice on dating, whether it’s online or in-person. We specialize in online dating and texting advice because we’ve found that to be a critical, underserved need that men have today.
In any interaction with women, our experts help you identify what your goal is (e.g. a date, a girlfriend), then give you specific steps to make it happen.
Do you only help with issues at the beginning of relationships or can users ask for help further down the line?
Contrary to popular belief, courtship doesn’t end when a relationship starts. We help many guys with relationship issues such as:
- What if she’s asking you for more commitment but you’re not ready,
- Figuring out why you’re fighting a lot,
- What to do if you suspect she’s cheating on you.
Who do you expect to use Hermes, and why?
Dating is something we could all use advice about, but we rarely get it. All kinds of single men use Hermes:
- Men who have been harbouring a crush but aren’t sure the girl likes them or don’t know how to ask her out,
- Newly-single men who are coming out of a long relationship and are wondering where to begin,
- Men who are comfortable meeting girls through friends or coworkers, but struggle to communicate well online or via text.
Do you think there is a growing market for singles looking to outsource their online dating life?
Yes, because dating suddenly became a time-consuming chore for men. Why waste your limited mental effort being witty and charming to some girl in your phone who you might never meet? Leave it to the pros. Hermes lets men focus on the fun part of dating, the in-person part.
Do you plan to integrate Hermes into dating services, or keep it as a standalone product?
Yep, we’re working on integrating into various dating services. It’s a shame that so many guys are using these services today and still wasting their time because they don’t have enough guidance.
Visit Hermes here.