Graduate school is more than just learning facts and theories; it’s about forming connections that will define your future. This is just one of the many themes we heard from professors during our time at the University of Utah’s Master of Business Creation (MBC) program. This certainly was the case for me, D.J. Potter, and my classmate and cofounder David Aiderzada.
When we joined the MBC program, we each had our own ventures and goals. I was focused on growing Sawtooth, the world’s most versatile truck bed cover, while David was launching Healixir, a home health system that tailors vitamin doses to an individual’s physiology. Though our businesses were vastly different, the MBC program forged a strong friendship and, ultimately, a new venture that would challenge an industry in desperate need of change.
By 2022, David and I started noticing a pressing societal issue: swipe-based dating apps were leaving millions feeling disconnected and disillusioned. Swipe-based apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge prioritize superficial sexual market value (SMV) — essentially, physical attractiveness — while neglecting the deeper and more important aspects that build lasting relationships. These platforms have inadvertently contributed to a loneliness epidemic, keeping users stuck in an endless cycle of swiping and short-term flings. Determined to offer a better solution, we co-founded Orra, an AI-driven matchmaking platform designed for singles seeking meaningful, lasting relationships.
Unlike traditional dating apps that focus solely on SMV, Orra prioritizes relationship market value (RMV) — a holistic approach that considers core values, evolutionary psychology, and also physical attraction. Orra’s AI leverages cutting-edge technology and deep psychological insights to match users based on what truly matters, fostering long-term relationships rather than superficial connections.
Orra app screenshots.
Within the MBC program we learned that when starting any new business, it is important to understand your points or parity and difference. Professor Jeff Davis taught only after you understand your SWOT can you move forward to market and sell it. For us, we understood that Orra was not just a dating app but a very unique matchmaking service. The way Orra operates and is advantageous are also very different.
6 Unique Orra AI Advantages:
- Values-Based Matching: Orra’s AI connects users based on shared values, which research shows that relationships founded on shared values have the highest success, satisfaction, and happiness rates.
- Non-Addictive: Unlike swipe-based apps, Orra’s AI focuses on quality over quantity. Orra pairs users with highly curated matches so they don’t have to endlessly swipe and thus eliminating decision fatigue.
- Orra Dating Companion: Orra’s AI is more than just a matchmaker. Orra also answers dating questions you may have. Do you want more insight into a potential match or an inexpensive and fun date idea? Just ask Orra.
- Spark Score Compatibility: With each potential match, Orra provides a Spark score. This percentage score, based on key metrics, reflects the likelihood of the match forming a long-term connection.
- Physical Attraction: While Orra prioritizes values, it also considers evolutionary psychology and “looks matching” to ensure matches are physically compatible. Orra provides user’s total anonymity during the matching process. Only after users have matched and corresponded are images revealed.
In our opinion existing swipe-base/hookup dating apps do three things really well — keep users single, extract money, and create addiction. It is surprising to us that only 12% of swipe-based dating app users have found lasting relationships (Pew Research Center). An 88% failure rate in unacceptable to us. With Orra, we want people off our app and into a meaningful, long-term relationship within 3 months of downloading it. David and I have always agreed that our success with Orra is not measured by time spent on the app but by the relationships we help create.
Even though there are differences in marketing a physical product vs. a digital product, one overlapping element we learned within the MBC program was the power of story. Professor Davis drove this home specifically with his own experience growing, and successfully exiting, his own company through social media and storytelling. We too are taking this to heart but in a different way. David and I are sharing our Orra founding journey on our own social media channel called The Hairy Knuckle. Here we openly discuss our experience with our own businesses, relationships, and entrepreneurship journeys.
We believe Orra represents what online dating should have always been: intentional, fulfilling, and focused on deeper connections. As we prepare for Orra’s debut in March 2025, our journey exemplifies how MBC’s collaborative environment can inspire innovations that address real-world challenges in unexpected ways.
Learn more about Orra at orra.co.
