Site Makes Matches with Math

With Valentine’s Day looming, students looking for a date can turn to OkCupid, the brainchild of three math-savvy alums.

Christopher R. Coyne ’99, Sam A. Yagan ’99, and Maxwell N. Krohn ’99, three dorm-mates from Straus Hall, have lead numerous online ventures in the decade since their graduation.

In 2004, the trio turned their creative energy to the Internet dating market when they launched OkCupid.com.

The rudimentary pairing service, says Coyne, was inspired by a classmate’s software to help seniors seeking their hook-up for the Last Chance Dance—an annual event that gives seniors a final opportunity to lock lips with that unrequited crush.

The site, which counts over a half-million active users, according to Yagan, is noted for its algorithm that produces “match percentages” based on user-submitted questions on everything from smoking habits to religion.

Yagan, an Applied Mathematics and Economics concentrator, used his college know-how to carve a niche in the online world.

“Harvard didn’t give us great dating skills but it gave us great math skills,” he says.

While a mathematical match can never be a definite indicator of success, Coyne credits the site with creating “thousands and thousands” of serious relationships.

“We can’t predict soulmates, but math can help with the whittling-down process,” Yagan says.

The site plays to a younger demographic than competitors like eHarmony and Match.com, boasting a strong showing among those between the ages of 18 to 30.

Over 1,000 people have signed up for the service with Harvard e-mail addresses in the past four years, according to Coyne.

As to whether the founders take advantage of their product, Yagan said that all were already in relationships.

Coyne, who keeps a profile, has even put the site to the ultimate test.

“I have on my profile that I’m married and just looking for friends,” he said. “My wife is my number one match on the site.”

Best known for creating SparkNotes—a book summary service that was bought by the bookstore Barnes & Noble in March 2001—the trio first ventured into the love market in 1999 with their now-defunct site, TheSpark.com.

A decade later, they credit their success to the University’s own matchmakers.

“I owe everything in life to the Freshman Dean’s Office,” Yagan says.

—Staff writer Lingbo Li can be reached at lingboli@fas.harvard.edu.