The Inspirational Woman Project believes that every woman is inspirational. It's our mission to tell their stories.
Eve Peters is the Founder & CEO of Whim, the first dating app that sets up actual, real-life dates. Peters has been involved in the online dating space as both a product designer and a customer for eight years. She has experimented with at least a dozen dating apps, all the while lamenting the time and energy wasted in moving past the "messaging zone" and into the "real-life date zone."
Just like other online daters, Peters regularly found herself spending over an hour a day managing messages with potential dates, with only a fraction of those conversations culminating in real-life plans. Furthermore, most of those dates were disappointing after so much build-up.
Peters and her team are inspired by the research of sociologists like Eli Finkel and Eric Klinenberg, as well as comedian Aziz Ansari, all of whom make the case that at the end of the day, face-to-face interaction (not algorithms and not texting), is the best way to determine the presence of real chemistry.
Peters an enthusiastic user of her own dating app, and wholeheartedly believes that the best things in life often happen when you do something on a whim.
Why did you create Whim?
{Peters} I've been not just a customer in online dating, but also worked in the online dating space for years. I've noticed a rising tide of frustration with the modus operandi of current apps, which generally entails spending hours a day texting people back-and-forth, waiting for replies, and coordinating plans - and hardly any time meeting them in person! That real-life part is hands-down the best way to tell if there's real chemistry, and I want to help people invest their time and energy more effectively.
There's no app doing this. Most of them are more focused on keeping you engaged in the app and on your phone, rather than on helping you form meaningful real-life connections.
What drives you to get up every morning?
{Peters}From an entrepreneurial standpoint I love that I am the master and commander of own ship. I love the feeling of responsibility and agency. I love that my work is a form of self-expression.
In addition, it's very gratifying to see people connecting because of what my team and I have created. I'm motivated to figure out how we can do increasingly better at delivering our value proposition.
What inspires you?
{Peters} I am inspired by the opportunities that technology enables for us. Just a few years ago, it wasn't possible to open an app and say, "I want a date Friday night. I want it in this neighborhood. And I want it with this kind of person." -- and have that delivered for you. I think that's really exciting.
Outside the scope of my work, I'm inspired by companies that are applying their model to positive social causes. Airbnb, for example, is starting to work on use cases where they charitably help people out in the wake of personal or environmental disasters. I'm inspired by a company that is able to not only generate healthy profits, but also simultaneously make lives better.
Why are you inspirational?
{Peters} I think I've been resilient through a lot of ups and downs in both my personal and professional lives. As with any entrepreneur, I chose to buck the safer and more secure path. It's scary to go create something from nothing on your own. I've also failed, dusted myself off and tried again. I think people are inspired by that.
What is your superpower?
{Peters} My superpower is listening. All the best ideas I've poured into my business came from hearing and distilling feedback I've received from others.
When do you feel most powerful?
{Peters} I feel powerful when I am in front of a group and have a captive audience looking to me for advice or information. I feel powerful when I get something done in spite of having little or no resources with which to do it.
What does it mean to you to be a woman?
{Peters} Being a woman means enjoying a special connection to the life force that creates us. It means being in touch with the feminine, the mystical, the powerful. It means having a soft outer appearance, but cultivating rock-hard strength within. It means moving through the world with wisdom and grace. Our inherent nurturing instincts position us well to further peace, well-being, growth and prosperity for all living beings.
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