Source: Marginal REVOLUTION
A new analysis of swipe-based apps shows that romantic interest follows a power-law distribution—a small percentage of users capture the majority of matches while most users languish in obscurity. This creates a structural problem: for the vast middle, these platforms don't improve dating odds, they expose how unattractive you are relative to algorithmic winners. The business tension is real. Apps need enough engaged users to retain the elite (who could date anyone offline), but the majority of paying users experience genuine product failure.