Justin McLeod is the founder and chief executive of dating app Hinge. Initially designed as a Facebook app in 2011 — while McLeod was in his final year at Harvard Business School — it launched as a mobile app in 2013 and was acquired by dating giant Match Group in 2018, making it part of the same portfolio as Tinder and OKCupid.

Hinge, which says it has set up over 30mn dates, is now available in 25 countries, and last year generated revenues of $284mn. It positions itself as “the dating app designed to be deleted” — a service that will yield a lasting relationship instead of an endless stream of dates.

In this interview, McLeod talks about the the genesis of his company, the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence, Hinge’s expansion into Europe — and what makes for an effective profile.