Anneliese NiebauerPickleMatch connects singles for pickleball dates. The app that helps you: • find people near you who also play • match based on skill level and where you play • turn that match into an actual game The first date is already planned, and it's pickleball. Time, place, and even doubles partners can be coordinated in the app. We launched in October on iOS and Android. Today we have 700+ active profiles, 1,500 people on the waitlist. People are already meeting every week.
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Great idea Anneliese! Couple questions:
- I'm a tennis player OG who likes pickle (and other racket sports). Is it pickle specific or might you open it up to other racket sports (like Padel that is exploding right now)?
- Are you working in deals with Pickle establishments to get deals on courts, etc from within the app?
@anneliese the world is so fed up with old-school dating apps, and it feels so good to see people notice and act on it. Thank you for taking a real step to re-ground our world in the sort of activities that form real relationships. :)
Fascinating approach. I'm not single, but if I was I would much rather consider partners I already have something in common with. And as a Pickleball junkie, we might agree that it can become a little more than a "something."
Also, what a great first date.
This is super cool! and great to see AdRoll alumni building awesome things..!
This is great fun! I am unfortunately very happily married, so I'd love to see a non-dating focus in the future too :) Maybe a couples pickleball to meet friends and get fit too?
Congrats on the launch!
A few questions:
- Can non-single but ready to pickleball mingle players join?
- Is it all-levels friendly or more geared to competitive players?
- Is it live in Denver and/or NYC?
Such an awesome product! Y'all are nailing the pickleball scene, Would love to see this expand into more of a general "hobby match" app to help people make more connections through activities! Like SweatPals but better
Congrats on the launch! This is hilarious and honestly kind of genius. Taking the pressure off first dates by making it an activity is so smart. 700 active profiles already is solid. The landing page could use a bit more about how the matching actually works, the app sounds great but the site doesn't really sell it yet. Do you match based on skill level or is it more of a vibes thing?
Congrats on the launch! Two qs:
1) Can it be used for regular pickleball matches too? Not sure if it'll be a common ask, but I imagine people who just want to play might download the app. People who are already married, like me :)
2)I like the intentional geo rollout. BUT, i have a challenge... Launch internationally! You might get surprised with traction in places you never imagined?!
Interesting approach to what is a challenging market, in more ways than one! Big fan of combining dating with physical activity, but then again my partner and I are both very active so I may be biased!
Hey @anneliese, congratulations on the PickleMatch launch!
The idea is smart. You plan the first date around pickleball. This takes away the pressure of what should we do?
I read your app description. One line is punchy: Skip the endless chatting, meet IRL on the court.Many people are tired of texting for weeks and never meeting. One small thing I noticed. Your description says 700+ active profiles & 1,500 people on the waitlist. These are good numbers.
But it also says “100+ downloads” on the Play Store. There is a big difference between these numbers. A new user might feel confused. They may think: “If so many people are on the waitlist, why are downloads so low?”
I attached two screenshots to show what I mean.
I am curious.... how are you thinking about this? Is the waitlist mostly from iOS users? Or is something else happening?
Correct me if I am wrong but the matching logic will be similar to other dating apps and instead of meeting at cafe we meet at Pickle ball? is this correct or we have a completely new logic for matching?
I think if more apps (dating ones) were including common sports activities, it would be pretty cool because:
at least one hobby you have in common
you are doing something good for your body/health
you can see the reaction of the other side when loses the match, so you can see the behaviour in his/her pure nature (I know some people who take defeat tragically. :D)
Also, love how you found parallel between sport and copywriting "Match"
After getting out of a nearly decade-long relationship, I got on the apps and burned out fast. It was admin, forced small talk, and first dates that felt like interviews.
Then I found a simple workaround.
I had recently gotten into pickleball, so started only swiping on people who played. It gave me an easy opener. "Want to play sometime?"
It worked. I skipped the small talk and started going on actually enjoyable dates.
Most dating apps solve for the match, then dump you in a chat with a complete stranger. PickleMatch solves for meeting IRL. Your first date is sorted, and it's pickleball. It's social, fun, and affordable. You do not have to carry the conversation the whole time. The activity does that for you.
Since launching in October, the app has taken off. We have 700+ active users organising pickleball dates every weekend and have been featured on Yahoo News, Nightline, and we were even roasted on Jimmy Kimmel.