Maybe it’s best if I start with my principles first, then I will talk about why I made a dating app for remote workers and travelers. After all, why anyone does anything in life starts off with their beliefs and world views.
I don’t believe the goal of life is to be happy.
It doesn’t really make sense to optimize for happiness, money, fun, etc. No matter how high you get, you can always get higher. No matter how rich you get, there’s someone richer. The only thing that truly matters at the end of the day is, are you doing what you find meaningful?
Happiness is just a shadow that follows us when we are grateful and have great relationships – I don’t really think about it. Instead, I focus on my values and what gives my life meaning. Because that is what gives me consistent satisfaction and self-fulfillment– there’s nothing better than when your life is consistent with your beliefs.
Chasing meaningfulness is something that may be hard or even painful. But to me, it is much more important than pursuing money or happiness. Fairytrail is meaningful to me.
Here’s why I decided to make it.
1. Our world is beautiful and magical.
Having lived in five countries and countless cities from Winnipeg to London to Shanghai to Berlin to Palo Alto, I am in awe of the world and its people.
Seemingly casual moments like longboarding next to an abandoned church past a crowd of Turkish people and several prostitutes in West Berlin to meet my Chinese-German friends for late-night Turkish tripe soup was truly extraordinary upon reflection.
The world is such a wondrous place. To live in one place all my life feels illogical. Like having a big house but only using one room.
Having walked the streets of Marrakech and lived in Agadir with a Moroccan college student with nothing but two mattresses and a chair in a room next to a goat pen, I learned so much about Muslim people and how their lives can be so vastly different from mine in a beautiful way.
A German girlfriend showed me that in her world, people don’t rinse the detergent off dishes. That also completely blew my mind…
My mission is to help people experience more of the world because it’s the most beautiful thing to me– to see all its wonders, to appreciate all its cultures, and to cherish its fragile moments.
I must say the first time I saw a flying fish from a boat in Greece, I thought it was the most remarkable thing in the world.
Under the desert stars. Photo courtesy of @skipwithgrace
Or maybe it was the night stars in the Sahara Desert and how they seemed to shine brighter than any club I’ve been to in London.
Or the fireflies dancing outside the window of our cottage on the Amalfi coast. Life felt magical. That feeling of awe and wonder is a feeling that I constantly chase.
To explore the world and its people brings me so much joy. For a period of my life, I would only date people who spoke a language I didn’t speak. Maybe I’m greedy to want to experience all that life has to offer. To live life to the fullest. To appreciate our awe-inspiring world.
But chasing happiness, it’s a losing game. What is more meaningful is helping people discover the beauty of our world. To help them feel truly alive and connected.
At the end of the day, I don’t want to just suck out all life has to offer and take all the experiences I can get. I want to give back and contribute to it.
The first movie I saw, Lion King, said that “there’s more to see than can ever be seen” and since that day, I have been lucky to see and experience so much. I want to share that feeling of wonder with the world.
Family Vacation To The Great Wall Of China
Building towards a family and Fairytrail are what gives my life meaning. Exploring the world makes me who I am.
So why build a dating app for remote workers and travelers? Why not just build a travel buddy app, VR travel solution, write a book, or create some travel documentaries?
2. Online dating is a disliked solution to a real human need.
I’ve worked in consumer electronics, social gaming, FinTech, B2B SasS, ride-hailing, marketplaces, on-demand delivery, and health tech. So why something as dirty as dating?
Dating has had a bad reputation. Maybe because like gambling it’s too easy to prey on the needy. So you have all those horrible fake dating apps. Maybe because there’s still this idea you can’t find someone in real life, so you need to turn to the online world.
But that’s fading fast as we turn to online for everything from food to bus schedules to Thai massages, all at a tap or a click.
Online dating is now mainstream. In fact, online is the number one way couples in the USA meet as of 2017. Currently, 39% of new couples first meet online and experts predict that to increase to 70% by 2040.
But dating is still difficult. Ask anyone. Even people who get a bunch of matches need to sift through and find the right person. And the actual dating experience can be emotionally draining, often feeling like a chore.
A loving relationship is a huge human need. Finding the right person isn’t easy. Maybe we’re too picky now in a world with movies from Hollywood, furniture from Scandinavia, songs from Korea, and tomatoes from Spain. Whatever music, food, and goods that we want are available to us. So how can we suddenly be less picky about our partners when we can be so selective about everything else in our lives?
And it’s not a bad thing we have a choice and are pickier.
Because finding a partner is truly an important decision. That person will have more of an impact on your life than any other relationship going forward.
What dating apps do now is great because they expose you to people you otherwise would almost never meet in your city.
But it’s flawed in four painful ways.
1. Diversity: Every city has its own type of people. Do you expect to find the same types of people in Atlanta as Shanghai? They have different world views, beliefs, and values. For example, there are many ethnic groups in New York, yet the vibe of the people tend to be the same. Where can you meet your most compatible partner? Which city would you thrive in? Be the happiest? What if you’re living in the wrong city?
2. Numbers: Did you know that the median population size of the top 300 largest cities in America is only 165,000? The biggest city in Maine only has 66,882 people, which translates to 31 eligible singles (calculation). And only 55% of the world’s population lives in cities. What’s someone who doesn’t even live in a city to do?
3. Experience: Dating apps currently don’t care about your dating experience. They care about getting you matched, not what happens after. They don’t care that guys get stressed about planning dates. Or girls feel like they don’t have a say in what those dates are. And both are frustrated with the laborious coffee date to vet attractiveness, creepiness, and chemistry.
4. Conflict of Interest: Dating apps don’t have your interest in mind. When you want to reply to your potential partner’s messages, you’re shown more matches. An endless queue of beautiful people is waiting to meet you. They want to keep you dating. They want to keep you swiping. Their $6 billion dollars is tied to you being single and using their app. Their interest is keeping you glued to their screens when your interest is to find someone so you can get on with your life and have amazing adventures together.
I want to build a product that addresses these points. Wouldn’t it be better if the dates were more fun and safe? What if you could be exposed to more and different types of people who could show you the world in ways you never knew? What if the dating app’s interest was aligned with yours?
3. People are becoming hyper mobile.
I’ve had long-distance relationships before and many of my friends are currently in healthy long-distance relationships. It always struck me as strange that people do it even though it sucks.
It even seems more common than before. Why is that?
I. Remote and freelance work are on the rise.
“More than one-third (36 percent) of U.S. workers are in the gig economy.”
Think about your Lyft or Uber driver. The designer you hired on Upwork. How easy is it for them to move somewhere else?
Source: Upwork
If freelancing continues to grow at its current rate, the majority of U.S. workers will be freelancing by 2027.
Then there’s aspirations to be truly remote. MBO Partners found 38% of Americans with traditional jobs have an interest in becoming a digital nomad in the next 3 years. Already more than 4.8 million American workers describe themselves as digital nomads.
68% of millennials are more interested in a job that can be worked remotely. Google Trends tells a similar story of growing interest in the digital nomad (DN) movement.
Source: Google Trends
Some have estimated there will be 1 billion digital nomads by 2035.
II. Lower costs. Flights are cheaper than ever and faster than ever. Long-distance calls were $3.60 per minute. Now video calls are free. VR is coming.
III. Political mobility. Immigration is at record levels. In 2017, the USA has an immigration rate 3 times that of the 1970s. Germany more than doubled its immigration rate since the 1990s.
IV. Peace! The world is actually more interconnected and peaceful than ever. See the nice steep decline? That’s where we are!
Source: Our World in Data
There’s a strong need for a dating app for remote workers.
4. People are choosing to date online more. And just more.
A Stanford study shows it’s the number one way couples meet now.
People are getting married later and there’s more singles than ever.
You can see it in the revenue: Match Group is having all-time record high profits. Facebook is getting into dating. Bumble valued at 3 billion.
So this is a huge opportunity as society engages in more online dating and dating in general.
5. People are choosing travel experiences.
As you probably know, people are increasingly opting for travel and adventures. If not, just read this headline from Forbes:
Booming Global Travel And Tourism Is Driving Economies And Job Growth – The travel and tourism sector grew more in 2018 than all other economic sectors but one, adding a record $8.8 trillion to the world’s combined Gross Domestic Product – up from $8.3 trillion in 2017 – as well as 319 million new jobs.
What’s also exciting is Airbnb recently launched Adventures after the immense success of Airbnb Experiences.
That’s why the world needs a dating app for travelers and remote workers.
Conclusion
What does that mean for dating?
We will have more choice in who we date. Just like in almost every industry, we’ve got more choices over the years. Dating won’t be limited to local anymore.
We will have more fun dating. We’ll actually get to explore the world, try new foods, and see new places and cultures– with people who intrigue us.
We will be more interconnected. The world is vastly different but as we meet and date more types of people, people from other cultures, we’ll build bridges to form a more empathetic and unified world.
So that’s why we’re building Fairytrail. We are building an app to help single people meet their partners. We are building an app for people who want to embrace what the world has to offer. We also have a product for couples coming out soon.
Fairytrail Castle. Photo courtesy of @skipwithgrace on Instagram
Our simple mission is to help people explore the world with someone they like.
Life is short, so we don’t think it should be wasted doing the ordinary. Nothing is better than being on a journey with someone you love. Make life and dating special and memorable.
Choose experiences that make you feel alive.
Life holds amazing possibilities. We’re here to help you discover those through new people and world exploration.
Fairytrail is the future of dating. And if we can unite the world along the way by creating caring relationships across countries, creeds, cultures, races, and classes that is something to truly be excited about.
UPDATE: The Fairytrail app is available for free download here.
UPDATE: Stay in touch via our newsletter .
UPDATE July 21, 2024: We’re now approaching dating in another way by focusing on friendship first. Read about why traditional online dating doesn’t work well and our new redesign.
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Written by Taige Zhang
Founder of Fairytrail
About Fairytrail
Fairytrail is a travel adventure dating app that connects single travelers on group journeys and activities. Its mission is to help people explore the world’s cultures and places with someone they like.
Book Adventures With Someone You Like
Taige, this is beautifully written and very interesting! Congratulations, I can't wait to try it!
It’s sounds like a brilliant idea, will it be for the LGBTQ community as well?
Hey Kim, yes it is LGBTQ friendly. However, please note we are a tiny app compared to Tinder and Bumble. Since LGBTQ is a small part of the population (5.6% as of 2021), they might not find so many matches. Some of our few 1 star reviews are from LGBT community so I don’t want to over promise when we can’t deliver a great result.
We don’t support non-binary yet; however, we have a product advisory council with non-binary folks on it and we discussing solutions.
The biggest focus right now is liquidity. Once we have enough users, our app will be more valuable to LGBTQ and everyone in general.
You can read more about how we support LGBTQ here: https://www.fairytrail.app/lgbt-non-binary-fairytrail/
Nice, Taige! Excited to see your mission continue in the next weeks and months.
Nice article Taige! Good luck with your app.
Magda
Loved reading this article, especially all the data points to support and already well thought out conclusion
!
Thank you so much for the encouragement and support!
This is a great idea. So many of the dating apps now are used for the wrong reasons. I am sure that apps such as this are the wave of the future because more and more people are using them.
Thanks for sharing Taige. Looking forward for the success of your idea.
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This is very interesting. I’d love to see this reality in Kenya ( Africa)
What age range is your target market?
We don’t target age groups. We target a mindset. Thanks for your support Pat!
Hello Taige,
Brilliant idea! Being single and a digital nomad myself, this app would suit me perfectly. I’m looking forward to giving it a try!
This app has potential and your well-explained reasons behind its creation answer a lot questions about who should use it and what to expect.
Absolutely thorough and enjoyable article, Taige! I agree with your logic. I’ve tried online dating services, but the endless cycle of fake profiles and the ‘crazies’ was just too much. The Fairytrail approach sounds fantastic. I’m working mostly on a remote basis currently, and I do love travel, so why not give it a try?
This is exactly what is needed, an excuse to travel!
Many need to experience other cultures, adventures and finding love along that path. This has always been a passion of mine. I would love to help you grow this fascinating endeavor, can a married girl with lots of travel experience help you!
Brilliant and beautifully written, Taige. I hope to see Fairytrail take off like all well-intentioned ideas should take off! There’s a little magic behind a good idea like this, too. Kudos to you for having the courage to see it come to fruition.
Mercedes
Taige,
I couldn’t agree more with your values and your mission… it is directly correlated with mine. This world has a huge disconnect and my mission it to bring connection across the globe through beautiful, sustainable relationships which help to reverse the negative impact we’ve had on our world by adventuring and exploring different geographic locations, cultures and people… because at the end of the day we all want and need to be loved. Thanks to society there is a huge problem with technology’s integration in relationships, and the lack of guru’s who can aid in the divide it is causing. I am 100% behind your mission and know with the right people on your team, your success will be extraordinary.
All the best,
Emilia
Well written Taige. I’ve traveled for years, always meeting friends that last a lifetime. I never go thinking I will find the right guy, but I always find the right people and we share ideas and travel experiences. I did find the perfect person through tourism. We’re still traveling, meeting people, and building our connectivity for the things we enjoy doing. We introduce people and build global relationships through platforms and events. Do you have room for another travel fanatic interested in introducing people to the wonders of the globe? Someone who contributes to the national Antique Caterpillar Club? That’s me!
This… resonates big time. So many of us feel discouraged because we think happiness is some final destination instead of something that comes with doing things you enjoy and bettering yourself. LOVE this and glad there is an app for people who feel this way.
Beautifully written. I have a saying, “go alone or stay home.” I’ve been traveling alone for several years. Seriously. This is spectacular. You’re a genius.
I’m very social, so I love traveling with people. Even when I solo travel, I’ll usually find great people along the way. I love sharing that joy and experience. Thank you for your encouragement and kind words 🙂
Taige
I love your treatise, Taige! Thank you for sharing. Covid is here but won’t always be, and travel will pick up again. Until then we can nurture and grow our online relationships. The only thing I would add is that I’d like to see this vision extend to more than just singles. Couples meeting couples and double dating, or friends looking for a travel partner… 🙂
Great article, thanks for sharing. And great concept and app! It feels truly genuine, even special, when a company is more concerned about people’s needs than just maximizing profit.
I love it! We have very similar values/sense of wonderment . I love how you think about the world.
Hi! I’m fully remote and would love to try out this app. Such a cool concept. The other dating apps haven’t worked out for me because I don’t have a city that I claim as home currently. Can I please bypass the fee and become a premium member? I saw your posts on Facebook about doing so.
Best,
Kate
Hi Kate,
Yes, exactly! Location doesn’t matter for many of us. We might be 1 mile away today but then 1000 miles away tomorrow. Or vice versa.
Correct, we have an entrance fee which keeps our community safe and high quality. You can verify manually with me for free access. Learn more here: https://www.fairytrail.app/entrance-fee/
Taige
Hi Fairytrail team!
Do you know who would be the best person to speak with regarding business partnership? If so, I’d be more than happy to set up a quick call to discuss the details and see if we can work something out.
Thanks a lot for your time and consideration!
Best,
Alon
Our email is team@fairytrail.app thank you!
So far my experience with the app is terrible and I have already canceled the subscription after two weeks. I have reached out twice to the the app team and still no response regarding an issue I have with a function within the app. Seems like they are good at taking money and terrible with customer service.
Sorry to hear! Please send us another email at team@fairytrail.app and we’ll try to make it right.