The Success Series: So Syncd

Personality type correlation

“Lou was saying how her friends and colleagues were going on these terrible app dates and I told her, I know a better way of matching people.” Jess had spent the past year completing 'accidental research'. Despite having no agenda initially, she explains:

“We found this problem; we found this solution. It just made a lot of sense.”

However, initially Lou was more sceptical. “I didn’t know much about the 16 personality types theory”, she admits. It wasn’t until Lou realised that she was in a long-term relationship with her perfect match that the penny dropped. They applied the science to their friends’ relationships too and quickly the evidence staked up. Lou states, “It was incredible; it really does work.”

From side hustle to full time business

Despite technology moving at a rapid rate, both Jess and Lou felt that the dating scene hadn’t caught up. While they agree that physical attraction is an important element, simply 'swiping based on a picture of two' didn’t make sense. “Personality counts for a lot more.”

Initially the business was run as a side hustle, and the sisters were fitting in writing blogs, engaging developers, replying to customers and marketing activities alongside full time jobs.

However, the app was gaining more and more exposure, with tens of thousands of users. They’d even celebrated their first wedding, which was an incredible success. It was impossible to manage both, leading to So Syncd becoming their full-time venture.

Building a community

With users in the hundreds of thousands, 2,000 relationships found through the app, $1m in funding and a number of weddings under their belt, the successes have come quickly.

“People are looking for something more meaningful, a deeper connection.”

Beyond the app, using social media, the team are focusing on building a supportive community.

The concept goes beyond dating and is more about “encouraging a deeper understanding of ourselves and others; it’s about self-awareness, self-discovery, introspection; understanding and respecting other peoples’ personalities.” With this in mind, the team are looking to expand the proposition to include a friendship feature as well as wider personal development elements.

Women in tech

As Head of Women in Tech in 2021, Jess recognises the challenges that female entrepreneurs face. While awareness is building, female founders still only receive 2% funding. A key study shows that two-thirds of the questions male founders are asked relate to business promotion, such as "How will you grow the business?" Conversely, two-thirds of questions female entrepreneurs are asked relate to risk, such as "What are you doing about security?"

Women in tech creates a safe, supportive community for women.

“The first step is to raise awareness of unconscious bias and the inequality that exists; the next step is to take action.”

Personality type for success

Lou’s piece of advice to people considering taking the leap into entrepreneurship is, “Do it with someone you really, really trust.” Jess and Lou are almost exact opposites; Jess is an INFP while Lou is an ESFJ, which means they recognise and respect their different strengths. When it comes to talking business, “It never feels tense and we can be completely honest, although at family dinners we are told no work allowed.”

You can take the personality test here.