In an age the place dating apps are largely pushed by appearances, Bookmark has taken a distinct method — one that prioritises conversations over looks. Founded in February 2024, the app connects folks via books slightly than profile photos, providing a refreshing various to the swipe-first tradition of mainstream dating platforms.
The thought stems from Cubbon Reads, the silent studying motion in Bengaluru began by Bookmark’s co-founders, Harsh Snehanshu and Shruti Sah. Harsh explains, “One beautiful thing we noticed with Cubbon Reads is that many people would come alone the first time. The next week, we would see them coming in groups. People started becoming friends, and over time, some of them also started dating . It happened right in front of our eyes, and we thought, ‘Hey, we can use books to connect people.’”
That idea — of books as a bridge between folks — turned the muse for Bookmark. Sid Zadaun and Avrojyoti Das, Bookmark’s co-founders, helped Harsh and Shruti remodel this concept right into a full-fledged dating app. Within a 12 months, Bookmark has seen over 15,000 installs throughout India, facilitated 50,000 matches, and constructed a robust neighborhood of 5,000 month-to-month energetic customers.
(Clockwise from high left) Founders Harsh Snehanshu, Shruti Sah, Avrojyoti Sarkar, and Sid Zadaun
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More than a dating app
Bookmark is not nearly romance — it additionally permits friendships via its Book Buddy function, which permits customers to attach even when they’re not in search of a romantic relationship.
“Our larger vision is to give people a primal reason to get back to reading,” says Harsh. “If you read, you can find someone to have deeper conversations with. The beautiful thing about books is that they don’t follow an algorithm; you have to find your own.”
The app’s distinctive construction ensures that profile photos stay hidden till two customers have exchanged at the very least 10 messages. This method, preliminary conversations are based mostly purely on literary tastes and responses to prompts slightly than appearances.
For Swapnil Joshi, a 28-year-old banker, this was a game-changer. “Book lovers are often stereotyped as introverts, and there’s some truth to that. It’s harder for them to get on dating apps and strike up a conversation,” he says. “On this app, you get profiles based on the books you read and your responses to prompts, not on your physical features.”
This system, he says, results in higher conversations. “Since I read a lot of philosophy, my conversations were often deep and lasted long. Shared literary preferences serve as an excellent icebreaker.” Bookmark labored for him — he met his present associate on the app and plans to dwell with them.
Challenging the swipe tradition
The fashionable dating situation is stuffed with ‘swipe fatigue’ — the limitless, exhausting cycle of liking profiles with out significant interactions. Bookmark counters this by limiting customers to 5 likes per day until they go for a premium subscription, which permits 30.
“There’s a lot of discussion around the exhaustion that comes with using dating apps,” says Shruti. “People mindlessly scroll through thousands of profiles, not realising there’s another human being on the other side. We wanted to make the process more thoughtful.”
For Hemashwetha KS, a 29-year-old neighborhood supervisor, this deliberate tempo is what units Bookmark aside. “The concept of ‘books over looks’ really appealed to me,” she says. “The 10-message rule means you actually take time to know someone before judging them on their appearance. It feels much more organic.”
A safer area
Online dating security is a significant concern, however Bookmark’s construction helps cut back undesirable interactions. The app has 25% paying girls customers, which the founders declare is 5 occasions that of Bumble, an indication that girls really feel safer and extra invested within the platform.
“If one doesn’t feel like engaging in a conversation, they can unmatch or block the person easily,” says Hemashwetha. This sentiment is echoed by Swapnil, who notes that the book-based construction makes it tougher for folks to faux. “Women I spoke to on the app told me it was easy to spot pickup artists, who just pretend to like books,” he says.
Screenshots from the app
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The app’s gender ratio at present stands at 70 (males):30 (girls) — a slight enchancment over Tinder’s 75:25 cut up — indicating a more healthy stability than many mainstream dating platforms.
What is in retailer?
With its first 12 months behind it, Bookmark is now seeking to increase internationally. The founders see robust potential within the US, Europe, and Australia, with excessive ebook readership.
“The majority of Goodreads users and book sales come from these regions,” says Shruti. “We’re actively seeking investment to scale globally.”
Beyond geographical development, Bookmark additionally plans to evolve right into a broader platform for interest-based dating. “Much like how Flipkart and Amazon started with books and then expanded, we want to do the same,” says Harsh. “Books are just the starting point because they are easy to showcase on a profile. But we want to create similar spaces for film lovers and music enthusiasts in the future.”
While studying preferences alone might not assure compatibility, they definitely present a robust basis. “If your opinions, political leanings, and social interests don’t align, what’s the point?” asks Shruti. “Everyone I look up to in terms of relationships has told me the same thing — whoever you choose in life, you must enjoy talking to them.”
Swapnil agrees. “Shared reading interests definitely help,” he says. “Of course, compatibility is a mix of emotional and intellectual factors, but this is a great starting point.”
A new chapter
Ultimately, Bookmark’s success lies in its potential to foster connections that transcend fleeting attraction. Whether it’s a romantic relationship or a literary friendship, the app goals to redefine how folks interact with on-line dating.
“In the past, people would say, ‘He doesn’t read, but I love him,’” says Harsh. “That mindset doesn’t work anymore. We are living in a time where we need to be informed, and reading is one of the best ways to do that.”
For those that imagine that a well-read thoughts is probably the most engaging trait of all, Bookmark gives a substitute for the swipe-first, talk-later tradition of recent dating. And as Swapnil’s story proves, typically, a shared love for books can flip a web page right into a lifelong chapter.
Published – February 24, 2025 03:25 pm IST
