Interview with Kaushik Banerjee, Co-Founder and CEO of Flutrr
In this client spotlight, we interviewed Kaushik Banerjee, the founder and CEO of Flutrr, India’s first multilingual dating app. Kaushik walks us through the challenges and growth of Flutrr in past years. His insights into the recent initiatives are truly inspiring.
Welcome, Kaushik Banerjee! To start, could you provide an overview of Flutrr and its mission in revolutionizing the online dating experience in India with its completely free-to-use and inclusive platform?
India is the second largest English speaking market in the world. But only 9.8% of Indians speak English. India also has one of the youngest populations in the world, with a median age of 28. There are approx. 500 million non English speaking youth who have no access to online dating since India has only English dating apps. Flutrr is trying to empower this underserved market with the freedom to choose.
What inspired the founding of Flutrr, and what specific challenges or shortcomings in existing Indian dating apps were you looking to address with the creation of a free-to-use and a safe platform?
Flutrr was inspired by the overpowering need to empower the emerging youth who do not speak English. Specifically, small town women who are yearning to break the patriarchal shackles. Today, India has the cheapest internet and data in the world. The video consumption market in India is the largest in the world. Also, smartphone prices have tumbled and are now being coupled with financing options. The youth in the remotest corners of the country now consume the same content as the large town youth and consequently, their aspirations are becoming homogeneous. But unfortunately, when it comes to online romance, they have no option.
Can you elaborate on the proprietary technology implemented in Flutrr to ensure online safety and privacy for women on the platform, and how it contributes to fostering a secure online dating environment?
We have built several proprietary techs for the safety and privacy of women. I am sharing some of them below:
A. No screenshots or screen recordings are allowed
B. You can block all your known contacts on your phonebook
C. You can turn on ghost mode to hide your location
D. Profanity filter for audio/video/text during chats
E. Blur filter for video calls
F. Private mode messaging with a Killswitch, which enables you to wipe the chat from the girl’s and boy’s phone
As the Founder and CEO of Flutrr, how do you envision the platform making a positive impact on the online dating landscape in India, especially with its emphasis on inclusivity and a bias-free environment?
The century belongs to India and, more specifically, the youth of India. And this phenomenal growth will be driven by economic growth and prosperity in the small towns of India. As the GDP of India continues climbing, it will be these small towns that will become the growth engines.
Therefore, starting a movement to create a romance ecosystem for these underserved youth is the way forward for Flutrr. We wish to take Flutrr to the online, offline, and Metaverse spaces in the romance ecosystem for these underserved youth.
What sets Flutrr apart from other dating platforms, and what strategies or features have you integrated to enhance the user experience and match-making algorithm within the online community?
We are serving a huge population and introducing them to online dating for the first time in their lives. Hence the vernacular play. Also, to break into the small-town women’s market and empower them with the freedom to choose, we had to build a safe and private environment for them. Lastly, we had to tailor our business model to cater to the small-town youth. Hence, no costly monthly subscription but microtransactions.
Can you share insights into recent developments or initiatives at Flutrr that contribute to the platform’s growth? Are there specific user engagement features or community-building efforts you’ve implemented?
We have to create relatability for Flutrr. Hence, we never use celebrities. We get our own users to post their experiences on social media. We have also created a large Campus Ambassador network in small-town colleges to promote our app to their peers and college mates.
What are your aspirations and goals for Flutrr in 2024, and how do you plan to further enhance the platform’s role in providing meaningful dating experiences for users in India?
Our first milestone is to reach profitability by Apr/May 2024. Also we are adding several features like Love Quote gifting, Music Gifting, Branded offer gifting to kickstarter then whole process of gifting, which plays a critical role in building deeper and meaningful connections
As the Company grows, could you mention the importance of the cap table management system in dealing with relationships among founders, investors, shareholders, and others?
We have always selected those investors who believe in our vision and are aligned to our objectives. Our cap table is like the who’s who of the CO level in Fortune 500 companies. They are a great source of help for us. We reach out to them for resources, advice, and connections regularly.
Do you have advice for founders in the dating app and technology space, particularly in creating platforms that prioritize safety, inclusivity, and user-friendly experiences? What is your advice for founders looking for funding?
I think if you are solving a real problem and are solving it really well, then funding will follow. Funding is not an end goal in itself. It is not a vanity metric. It is a means to achieve your vision. One word of advice, do business in the old-school way. Profit is King. The days of unreal valuations and easy money are over. Thankfully
