Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

1.     Opportunity: Vegan Dating App (also open to vegetarians)

2.     Single, vegans in the United States who have difficulty finding a partner because it still isn’t common to be a vegan, and many find it necessary to find a partner that shares the same values.

·      The Who: Single vegans in the United States

·      The What: They have difficulty finding a partner

·      The Why: It is still not common to be a vegan, and many vegans find it necessary to find a partner that shares the same values

3.     Hypothesis

·      Testing the who: Are all single vegans also looking for a vegan partner? There are vegans across the globe that are seeking a vegan partner, but would it be difficult to launch an app that’s available worldwide?

·      Testing the what: Do the majority of vegans find it difficult finding a vegan partner? Because there aren’t many vegans or vegetarians, it is probably very hard seeking someone with the same beliefs. So, would those seeking use this app?

·      Testing the why: How common is it to be vegan in the US? I looked it up and it says only 2.5% of Americans are vegan or vegetarian (http://veganbits.com/vegan-demographics-2017/) But it is a growing lifestyle that people find is an ethical and moral issue. Do most vegans find it necessary to find a partner who is also vegan?

4.     Interview five people: I went to the Union Street Farmers Market on Wednesday and found single vegans who were willing to be interviewed, most of whom were college students. I found it pretty awkward asking if they were single, but other than that, it went pretty well.

·      Interview 1: In this interview, I found a single vegetarian college student who felt very conflicted on whether she cared about finding a vegan or vegetarian partner, because she became vegetarian for the health benefits, so meat eaters don't make a difference to her. She said she didn’t have difficulty finding a partner, but she would use the app out of curiosity, and thinks others would too. She also mentioned that an app would be hard to launch due to so many other apps out there, and as a marketing major, believes that advertising would play a huge role for engagement. 

·      Interview 2: This interview was also with a college student that has been vegan for 5 years. She said that as soon as her parents became vegan, she realized how important it is morally. She was strictly looking for a vegan partner, so she can raise a family that has the same values, but did find it difficult to find one because it isn’t common to come across. She said that an app would be very beneficial for her and she would definitely use it, but isn't sure whether others would want to.

·      Interview 3: I interviewed a male, vegan college student that was very passionate about being a vegan. He said that he became vegan a year ago and noticed drastic changes in his health and energy levels that he knows he’ll be vegan forever, and wants his future children to be too. With that being said, he was extremely compelled to hearing more about the app and said he would definitely use it even though he doesn’t have difficulty dating.

·      Interview 4: This interview was with an older, single, vegan woman around the age of 45 (I didn’t want to ask) that works at a booth, whom I spoke to before this interaction. She became a vegan 15 years ago and said that she definitely sees more and more available processed foods that make it possible, affordable, and convenient for more people to become vegans. When I brought up the app, she said that she would use it depending on how easy it is to use, and of course if there is a large amount of vegan males her age that also use the app. She suspects that it would be difficult bringing in an older demographic to use this dating app.

·      Interview 5: This interview was pretty short with a young, single vegetarian male that works at one of the booths, but it was very helpful. He said that he would definitely use the app even though he isn’t solely looking for a vegetarian partner, but it isn’t that common to meet vegans or vegetarians, so he believes that launching a dating site that is solely to meet other vegans or vegetarians would be difficult to obtain.

5.     I now know that not all single vegans are looking for a vegan partner, but many are looking for someone that shares their beliefs. It isn’t discouraging, but I do realize that there is a small demographic within the US, and with the little amounts of vegans/vegetarians out there, many don’t solely date other vegans/vegetarians. Bringing these specific people to download and use the app would be quite difficult, so focusing on advertising is an important aspect. There are many vegans that surround themselves with other vegans because they feel they could connect to them on a deeper level, so finding a potential partner isn’t impossible, but it’s still a challenge. I found out, aside from the interviews, that only 2.5% of the U.S population is a vegan or vegetarian. Through the interviews, most of the vegans find it to be very important to find a vegan partner because they want to pass their values down to their children.