Sonder: The Dating App That Ditches the Swipe for Mood Boards and Speed Drawing

In a world where dating apps have become synonymous with digital drudgery, four London-based twentysomethings are daring to ask: What if meeting people could feel less like filling out a LinkedIn profile and more like curating your dream Pinterest board?

Enter Sonder, the anti-dating app that’s part mood board, part MySpace revival, and part social experiment. Founded by Mehedi Hassan, Helen Sun, Lenard Pratt, and Hannah Kin, Sonder is built on a simple yet revolutionary premise: people are tired of pretending their most controversial opinion is loving pineapple on pizza.

“We didn’t learn that people are frustrated through user calls or interviews or any of that,” Hassan told TechCrunch. “We learned that through our own experience — we’re just like, this can’t be it.”

The observation that dating apps have become a “slot machine of misery” isn’t exactly groundbreaking. But while most users simply complain and keep swiping, these four friends decided to build something different.

From Swipe Fatigue to Creative Expression

Sonder profiles are a radical departure from the standard dating app format. Instead of answering prompts like “Two truths and a lie” or listing your height in your bio, users create unstructured, visually-driven profiles that resemble digital collages or mood boards.

“It’s emulating run clubs in some way,” Sun explains, “where you have this recurring opportunity to meet people, but there’s no pressure that you have to make it work the first time you see someone.”

The app cleverly blurs the line between romantic and platonic connections. Users can match digitally, but Sonder also hosts quirky in-person events that feel more like creative workshops than traditional dating mixers. Think “Speed Drawing,” “Presentation Night,” or the intriguingly named “Performative Male Contest” — yes, that’s a real thing, and apparently, it’s having a moment.

IRL Experiences: The New Frontier

Sonder isn’t alone in recognizing that people crave real-world connections. Even Tinder, the OG of swipe-based dating, is experimenting with in-person events. But there’s something different about attending a “Speed Drawing” night at a Sonder event versus a Tinder-branded gathering.

“I think what we’re trying to bring back is that magic of bringing people together and meeting someone for the first time,” Sun says. “It should be special, rather than feel like swiping through job applications on LinkedIn.”

The genius of Sonder’s approach is that it doesn’t feel desperate. When everyone at an event is there for potentially both romantic and platonic connections, the pressure evaporates. You’re not walking into a room full of people hunting for their next relationship — you’re joining a community.

AI with a Human Touch

While established dating apps are rolling out flashy AI features — Bumble’s AI dating assistant, Tinder’s camera roll analysis tool — Sonder takes a more subtle approach.

Hassan’s day job at AI note-taking unicorn Granola gives him unique insight into the technology, but he’s adamant about keeping the human element front and center. Sonder does use AI to suggest matches by analyzing profile screenshots, but Hassan refuses to introduce AI profile generation tools.

“I think at that point, it loses the human touch of it,” he explains. “So even though we’re probably losing out on hundreds of users, and there’s a lot of friction setting up the profile, we want to make sure it’s an actual person putting their own effort in.”

It’s a refreshing stance in an industry increasingly dominated by algorithms and automation. The friction of creating a genuine profile becomes a feature, not a bug — it signals to potential matches that you’re serious about making real connections.

The London Underground Success Story

With approximately 6,500 users in London and zero paid marketing, Sonder’s growth is organic and intentional. The founders work on the app part-time while maintaining their day jobs, hosting events after work hours and reviewing footage the next day.

“Our life is very tiring for us, to be honest,” Hassan admits. “We work nine to five, then go to host this event at the end of the day.”

But the exhaustion is worth it when they see the results. “The next day, when I actually go through the videos, it’s actually really nice to see people smiling so much and having genuine conversations.”

The Future of Connection

Sonder represents something larger than just another dating app — it’s a response to a cultural moment where people are simultaneously more connected than ever and more lonely than ever. It acknowledges that while technology can facilitate introductions, meaningful relationships still require human effort, creativity, and vulnerability.

The app’s success suggests that there’s a hunger for alternatives to the mainstream dating app experience. People don’t necessarily want to abandon technology entirely, but they do want experiences that feel more authentic, more creative, and more human.

As Sonder looks to raise funding and potentially become a full-time endeavor for its founders, it’s betting on a simple truth: in an age of algorithmic everything, sometimes the most revolutionary thing you can do is put down your phone and pick up a pencil for a speed drawing session.

Because maybe — just maybe — the future of dating isn’t about better algorithms or slicker interfaces. Maybe it’s about remembering how to be human in a digital world.

Tags: Sonder dating app, anti-dating app, mood board profiles, MySpace revival, Speed Drawing events, Performative Male Contest, London startup, organic growth, AI in dating, human connection, swipe fatigue, dating app alternative, creative dating, IRL experiences, Helen Sun, Mehedi Hassan, dating app burnout, authentic connections, part-time founders, London-based startup

Viral Phrases: “This can’t be it,” “slot machine of misery,” “speed drawing instead of swiping,” “MySpace for the modern age,” “dating should feel special, not like LinkedIn,” “pineapple on pizza is not a personality,” “AI with a human touch,” “friction as a feature,” “the magic of bringing people together,” “smiling faces and genuine conversations,” “the future is human,” “put down your phone and pick up a pencil,” “dating app rebellion,” “mood board matchmaking,” “the anti-swipe movement”

,