Whitney Wolfe Herd - The story of Bumble

How she built a billion-dollar brand

Author

Brian Bourque
June 24, 2024

Hello to every unicorn in the galaxy.

If you’ve been single in the last decade you’re no doubt familiar with the dating app Tinder.

And if you stuck around in the singles pool for some time, you’ve likely encountered the Bumble app, which was created by Whitney Wolfe Herd (who also happened to cofound Tinder).

It’s not very common for one person to create two of the most prolific anything, so it’s worth digging into what Whitney did and how she did it.

Today we’ll dive into some insights she’s shared from her experiences building these apps and becoming the youngest female CEO to take a company public.

Pretty good.

Yes, I did.

What’s notable about the lessons I’ve extracted from her media appearances is that they are very “values-driven”.

In other words, Whitney acted based on some solid principles to guide her business behavior and I think it’s largely the quality of these principles that underpinned her long-term success.

You be the judge.

In any case, there’s a lot you can learn and apply to your own startup journey here.

If you want to skip to a great interview with her you can click here.

Whitney Wolfe Herd - Lessons from Bumble

Stay Rooted to Your Mission

"Your brand really forms around your mission, and I think that if you are really true to your mission and you stay very rooted to achieving that mission, your brand and your values and your culture and everything else really start to form around that."

Whitney Wolfe Herd

  • Define a clear mission for your business from the start

  • Make your mission the guiding principle for all decisions

  • Stay committed to your mission through challenges and changes

  • Use your mission to shape your brand and company culture

  • Revisit and reaffirm your mission regularly to maintain focus

  • Let your mission drive both small and large tasks daily

  • Ensure your team understands and embraces the mission

Customer Feedback is Key

"Usually the customer will give you the best feedback because they are not worried about hurting your feelings, and they are the ones that are actually troubleshooting in a very genuine way."

Whitney Wolfe Herd

  • Listen to your customers' feedback directly

  • Use customer feedback to drive product changes and innovations

  • Respond quickly to customer suggestions and complaints

  • Regularly review feedback to identify common issues and trends

  • Make improvements based on real user experiences

  • Prioritize customer satisfaction in your business decisions

  • Communicate changes and improvements back to your customers

Embrace Being Underestimated

"I do think though leaning into being underestimated can actually be so, so, so beneficial. It gives you the opportunity to kind of like fly under the radar."

Whitney Wolfe Herd

  • Use being underestimated to your advantage

  • Enjoy the freedom that comes with less scrutiny

  • Focus on innovation without external pressure

  • Turn doubt into motivation for success

  • Build your business quietly until it gains momentum

  • Avoid wasting energy on proving yourself prematurely

  • Let your achievements speak louder than initial perceptions

Leverage Your Personal Experiences

"I basically just channeled everything I wish there was that I didn't have into this company."

Whitney Wolfe Herd

  • Identify problems you have personally experienced

  • Use your own challenges to inspire solutions

  • Channel your experiences into your business

  • Focus on authenticity in your product offerings

  • Ensure your solutions genuinely address real issues

  • Leverage personal insights to connect with your audience

  • Continuously draw from your own journey to innovate

Focus on Long-Term Decisions

"As a founder and as a CEO, it is on you as an entrepreneur to be able to decipher what matters most. So we've always really tried to make informed decisions for the mission, even if it meant sacrificing a huge growth opportunity or a short-term win."

Whitney Wolfe Herd

  • Prioritize long-term goals over short-term gains

  • Make decisions that align with your mission and values

  • Evaluate opportunities for their long-term impact

  • Sacrifice short-term wins for sustainable growth

  • Focus on customer needs and long-term satisfaction

  • Maintain consistency in your mission through all decisions

  • Communicate the importance of long-term thinking to your team

Turn Adversity into Opportunity

"I do think though leaning into being underestimated can actually be so, so, so beneficial. It gives you the opportunity to kind of like fly under the radar."

Whitney Wolfe Herd

  • View challenges as opportunities for growth

  • Reframe problems to find innovative solutions

  • Use setbacks as a catalyst for improvement

  • Stay resilient and adaptable in difficult times

  • Look for the silver lining in every situation

  • Embrace risks as a path to new possibilities

  • Seek out opportunities even in unfavorable conditions

Hire for Potential, Not Just Experience

“A lot of the folks that I hired early on, they would not have gotten jobs off of LinkedIn like no one would have hired them based on a series of just random criteria. But my God, when you spoke to them, and when you just got in their mind for two minutes, you're like, you have so much potential."

Whitney Wolfe Herd

  • Look beyond resumes when hiring

  • Focus on the potential and values of candidates

  • Assess candidates through conversations to gauge their potential

  • Hire people who align with your company’s mission and culture

  • Balance hiring experienced professionals with high-potential individuals

  • Recognize that diverse backgrounds can bring unique strengths

  • Build a team that is passionate and willing to grow with your company

Whitney Wolfe Herd Interview

There are some great interviews with Whitney on YouTube that describe her journey building Bumble.

Here’s a good one if you want to dive deeper:

About Whitney Wolfe Herd

Whitney Wolfe Herd was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. She attended Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Texas, where she earned a degree in International Studies and was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. During her time at SMU, she launched her first business, a nonprofit project called Help Us Get Cleaned Up, which aimed to fund relief efforts for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

At the age of 22, Wolfe Herd was hired by Hatch Labs in Los Angeles. It was here that she co-founded Tinder, a dating app that quickly became a global phenomenon. She played a key role in marketing and branding the app and is credited with naming it Tinder. However, her tenure at Tinder ended amidst personal and professional turmoil. After leaving Tinder, Wolfe Herd filed a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and discrimination, which was settled out of court.

In 2014, Wolfe Herd founded Bumble with support from Russian entrepreneur Andrey Andreev. Initially planning to create a female-focused social network, she shifted to developing a dating app where women make the first move. Bumble’s unique approach aimed to change traditional gender dynamics in online dating. The app quickly gained popularity and expanded to include Bumble BFF for finding friends and Bumble Bizz for professional networking.

Bumble continued to grow, and in 2021, Wolfe Herd took the company public, becoming the youngest female CEO to do so. Bumble’s initial public offering (IPO) was a significant milestone, and Wolfe Herd’s leadership helped the company expand its user base and services. By 2023, Bumble had millions of users across multiple countries and had acquired other apps to broaden its offerings.

Wolfe Herd has also been active in advocating for digital safety and gender equality. She played a role in passing legislation against digital sexual harassment in Texas and continues to push for similar laws nationwide. Throughout her career, Wolfe Herd has focused on creating a platform that promotes kindness and respect.

In January 2024, Wolfe Herd transitioned from CEO to Executive Chair of Bumble. She remains involved in the company’s strategic direction while stepping back from day-to-day operations.

Whitney Wolfe Herd's journey from co-founding Tinder to leading Bumble showcases her ability to innovate and adapt in the tech industry. Her efforts have significantly impacted the online dating scene, particularly in creating safer and more empowering spaces for women.