I’ve had a fun time going on a few groupers since they first launched a few years ago. They just released a big update to their iOS app. Previously, your party would be blindly matched with another group of 3 people. Now you can select friends-of-friends and if there’s a mutual match, they’ll match you up. They also added photos to the app, which has been a big part of the Grouper “culture” (search Twitter or Instagram and you’ll see people sharing Grouper pics).

Interesting pivot but I preferred their original model. Not a fan of the added layer of friction.

What I don't understand is their insistence on blind dates as some sort of feature. With the latest update, yes, they allow you to swipe left/right on potential matches, which is great. But when it comes to date time, you STILL don't know who you'll be meeting (from all the girls/guys you "liked"). This is not a feature, to me. A semi-blind date is not as appealing as a date where I know the group I'm meeting. It never will be. And I've never met a person who favored a blind, or semi blind, date over one that isn't.

I went on a few when they first went to LA but haven't in over a year now. I'm not entirely sure why but it did feel like the novelty wore off. Gonna assume I'm not alone b/c of the semi-pivot.