Key Takeaways
- Whitney Wolfe Herd’s return as Bumble’s CEO signals a new, consumer-focused era for the dating app company.
- Bumble recently announced new features that prioritize user safety, value, and authenticity.
- Bumble hopes to return to its core values while embracing innovative technology and safety features.
After 14 months away, Bumble’s founder, Whitney Wolfe Herd, is officially back as queen bee.
Wolfe Herd rang in her return as CEO in an open letter to the Bumble community. “It’s not you, it’s us,” the letter is titled, acknowledging the app company’s current period of financial instability — and its commitment to turning things around.
Wolfe Herd returned to Bumble with a new, but ever threatening, problem to solve: the public disillusionment with online dating.
“It is time to shift from what has been: online dating that fuels rejection and judgement to an experience that drives curiosity, ignites confidence, and sparks joy every step of the way,” she said.
In the letter, Wolfe Herd voices the app’s recommitment to the values that made it successful in the first place: female empowerment, innovative safety features, and a welcoming community of daters.
To make this goal a reality, Bumble is focused on going back to basics by putting the consumer at the forefront. “Bumble is being rebuilt with you at the center — designed to reflect your needs, your experience, and what matters most to you,” Wolfe Herd said.
Price increases, tier-based subscription models, romance scams, and inauthentic connections across the dating app industry have made online dating a minefield for people looking for love. Wolfe Herd cited this as a reason behind Bumble’s return to basics:
“Every decision we make will be driven by one goal — bringing real love back to online dating, so it can lead to incredible, healthy love offline.”
Bumble plans on adding real value to the user experience by implementing innovative tech and safety measures. Recent product launches reflect the app company’s new vision; Wolfe Herd highlighted Bumble’s foray into ID verification, as well as a Review Before Send reminder and Share Date option, as new features that prioritize the user’s safety and satisfaction.
The app’s new Discovery feature will also help users make quicker and more authentic connections. By investing in innovative safety features, Bumble is attempting to make its promise to prioritize the user a reality.
“Today, I am back, and I am all in,” Wolfe Herd said.
She ended the letter on a hopeful note, not only for the average Bumble user, but for the dating industry as a whole: “This is more than an update from me. It’s a promise from us. Let’s make dating, and Bumble, something you love again.”
