Nicola Prentis is using a poll on Hinge to find men eager to meet in person quickly
Los Angeles: Nicola Prentis isn’t a fan of endless messaging on dating apps. She prefers meeting people face-to-face. So, she came up with a clever poll on Hinge to find guys who are ready to meet up early on.
The poll is a hit! It helps her connect with spontaneous guys who actually have time for dates. Nicola noticed that people on dating apps usually fall into two groups: those who want to chat for ages and those who want to meet right away. She’s definitely in the second group.
After taking a two-year break from dating apps, she jumped back on Hinge in 2024, determined to avoid long chats that lead nowhere. Her past experiences with drawn-out conversations left her feeling burnt out.
In the past, she’d only suggest meeting up when it felt right, but that often led to disappointment. Many guys seemed more interested in chatting than actually going on a date. Nicola runs her own business from home, so she sees online dating as a shortcut to real-life connections.
To speed things up, she started using Hinge’s poll feature. The poll simply asks if someone wants to meet today, tomorrow, or if they prefer to swap messages for weeks. If a guy picks one of the first two options, she matches with him and gets straight to planning a date.
Dating experts suggest asking questions before meeting to ensure safety and compatibility. Nicola always meets in busy public places to stay safe. She’s found that many guys don’t read profiles, so the poll makes her preferences clear.
While no method is perfect, she’s met over half the guys who voted, avoiding endless messaging. Sure, some guys vote and then ghost her, but she doesn’t mind. She hasn’t invested much time, so it’s easy to move on.
Interestingly, some guys still choose the option for endless texting. At first, she thought they were joking, but most of them aren’t proactive about meeting, so she skips them now.
Another perk of her poll is that it helps her avoid scammers and married men, who usually have excuses for not meeting in person. So far, she’s been going out with spontaneous guys who prioritize dating and actually have time for it. This is exactly what she’s looking for, and it means she spends just 15 minutes a week on the app.
Got a personal essay about dating you want to share? Reach out to the editor at akarplus@businessinsider.com.
