What a week!

We opened our pre-beta doors last Monday, welcomed 200 users and received thousands of reservations. After almost a year of working to make online dating better, it’s thrilling to see our dream being realized! And the best part of the job? Seeing your amazing support.

“A site that blocks out messages like ‘Hey wutz up’ and ‘Can I cum over? Gimme ur address’ sounds like a win to me. Hell I’d pay for that service.” -BurntEditor of jezebel.com

“The Mesh thing sounds amazing!” -lovinlifeNC of glamour.com

“[Dealbreakers] would work for SO many things. You’re an atheist? Filter out the young-earth evangelists. You really like the serious older guys? Filter out the 20-year-old college guys looking for a cougar.” -DashleyinCali of jezebel.com

So after the first batch of invites went out, we patted ourselves on the back and popped open a bottle of  “Mesh” wine.

And in true Mesh fashion, it’ll only get better from here.

From left to right: Asher Snyder (CEO and founder), Yeni Sleidi (Co-founder), Elizabeth Yao (Head of Marketing Strategy) in apartment 242 where it all started.

Promotional Events

With the pre-beta site being improved around the clock, the baton was passed off to the Mesh Marketing team. On Saturday, we took to the streets of this year’s Mermaid Parade with free water to help our fellow New Yorkers beat the heat.

But Coney Island was only our first stop. We’ll be hitting up other NYC summer events, so follow us to keep track of where we’ll be next.

Updates & Improvements

Our development team has been working hard to make Mesh better, so keep the feedback coming! Here are a few highlights of the improvements made this week:

Key Bugs Fixed

We’ve been fixing things up left and right to ensure a more seamless experience. No more sign up issues!

Product Tours Activated

We’ve implemented three product tours to help highlight what makes Mesh different, with more to come.

Friendlier Photo Bookmarks

We heard your feedback and re-designed the photo bookmarks to be more intuitive and user-friendly.

Match View Memory

Whether you’re a fan of Lists or Tiles, Mesh will remember how you prefer to view your matches.

Keep an eye out for more updates and new features over the coming months. Have questions? You can always reach us at info@meshbetter.com. We’re listening.

Happy  October, Meshers! Can you believe a whole month has flown by since we launched into the Beta life? Crazy, we know, but we wouldn’t have made it this far without you. For starters, you helped us gain more than 1000 new users in the past three weeks alone. And, thanks to your feedback, our team’s been able to create tons of new features that we can’t wait to show you. So give yourself a pat on the back (we did!)

Newly Added Features:

Safety from Catfishes Improved international filtering ensures that you don’t get reeled into someone’s online dating scheme. We want you to feel confident knowing who your matches really are before you meet them (and save the catfishing for MTV.)

Pictures Required: We require a profile photo before users are allowed to browse our site. No creepy window shoppers allowed.

Faster Photo Viewing Browse your matches and view their pictures faster than ever. In other words, we’ve helped you get your best face forward so you can spend less time waiting and more time dating.

More Updates:

2000+ New Users Mesh is welcoming new members every day and we couldn’t be more thrilled. After all, the more the merrier!

Sweet (Free) Events: You loved our free photography events (who doesn’t need an amazing headshot?) so we’ve got more of that coming next month. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ to stay tuned for event deets and cool freebies.

Mesh supports #HeForShe Gender equality is something the Mesh team strongly believes in and supports whole-heartedly. That’s why we’ve agreed to join the #HeforShe movement in hopes of helping both men and women worldwide understand the importance and significance of equality. Like what you see? Let us know which new features you love and what could use more tweaking by emailing us at info@meshbetter.com (or, feel free to drop a line if you just want to say “Hey!”)

After seven long weeks, we’re so excited to announce that Mesh has officially entered Beta mode! This means invitations will no longer be required to sign up. It also means that we’ve stepped up our game and have seriously improved the system for a faster, better and more seamless user experience.

That said, we want to shout a big “thank you” to everyone who’s contributed to our pre-beta. Without your participation and insightful feedback, we wouldn’t have achieved the same level of success. Your support has helped us welcome over 1,400 users, send thousands of invite requests, and land features in Glamour, Time Out New York and other major publications. You made Mesh possible, and with your continued feedback and suggestions, we’re only getting better and better.

A toast to the days ahead!

Read All About It in Refinery29

Imagine our excitement and surprise when we were tapped for an interview by writer Emily Field for Refinery29 two weeks ago. Refinery29 wanted to know more about little ‘ole us? Aww, shucks, we’re blushing.

“But, where could I meet someone who thought I was worth more than a cold drink and a one-night stand? Apparently, three Brooklynites were searching for the same answer, and, amidst the plethora of options for people to meet digitally, they have attempted to make online dating a not-so-horrible experience, and maybe even enjoyable.”
– By Emily Field, Refinery29

We’re grateful to be a part of the conversation. Thanks again, Emily!

The Bright Future Ahead

As our community grows, our design and development teams continues to collaborate around the clock to make Mesh the best free online dating service possible (keep the feedback coming!) We’re also making tremendous strides with our mobile apps and can’t wait to show you how dating apps should be done.

It’s going to be a sunny future ahead. Hope that you’ll be a part of it!

Since we’ve opened our pre-beta doors, we’ve welcomed over 1,000 users, received thousands of invite requests, and have landed features in Glamour, Time Out New York and other major household publications.

So after six tireless weeks, we’re happy to announce that Mesh will soon be entering beta mode, its next stage of growth. That means invitations will no longer be required for sign ups and access. It also means that we’ve upped our game and have seriously rethought and redesigned our infrastructure for a faster and more seamless user experience.

This journey’s been nothing short of incredible. And with your helpful suggestions, Mesh is only getting better and better. So keep it coming!

Free Professional Photography Events

Early last week, we promised free professional photography sessions in Prospect Park and delivered. The turnout was fantastic and your outpour of encouragement was incredible. Thanks for the show of support!

Your “photography assistants,” Yeni (left) and Meir (right), striking a pose.

We’ll continue to hit up NYC summer events next week with other goodies, so don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and the Mesh blog to keep track of where we’ll be next!

Updates & Improvements

As our user base continues to grow, the development team has been working around the clock to make Mesh the best free online dating service possible. Here are a few highlights of the improvements made this week:

Quicker  Website Loading Time

Our development team has worked their magic so that photos, profiles and more now load in a snap. Finding that special someone already takes enough time. We won’t make you wait any longer.

Updated Profile Interface

Your profile just got an upgrade! We’ve made a handful of small design updates that will give you a better overall look and feel.

Easier & Faster Photo Publishing

With to your insightful feedback, we’ve shifted the image preview to the top, minimized the buttons, and boosted the speed of the upload to streamline the photo publishing process.

Mobile App Progress

Our design and development teams have been working together to make tremendous strides with our mobile apps. Sneak peek to come!

Keep an eye out for more updates and new features over the coming weeks. Have questions? You can always reach us at info@meshbetter.com. We’re listening.

Happy one month to Mesh! Since we’ve opened our pre-beta doors, we’ve welcomed over 800 users, received thousands of invite requests, and have landed features in Glamour, Time Out New York and other major pubs.

This journey’s been nothing short of incredible, and with your helpful feedback and suggestions, Mesh is only getting better and better. So keep it coming!

What better way to celebrate than with personalized sweet treats? A special thanks to the wonderful Dell team for the “Party in a Box”!

Free Professional Photographs

Does your profile picture still look like it was taken in a cave, using your old flip phone from high school? Well, starting this week, we’re offering free professional photographs. That means you’ll get spick-and-span quality photos, without a catch. Check out our event page for the details, and snag your appointment today!

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and the Mesh blog to see what other goodies we’ll be giving away.

Read About Us in AfterEllen and TakePart

We’re super excited to be a part of the conversation in AfterEllen and TakePart last week! The positivity and feedback has been amazing.

“Mesh looks fantastic, works beautifully, and comes equipped with serious innovation…I’m really excited about this app and want everyone to sign up and start meshing with me.”
– By Chloë Curran, AfterEllen

“[Mesh] has the potential to make online dating more thorough and more fruitful.”
– By Nicole Pasulka, TakePart

Thanks again, Chloë and Nicole!

Updates & Improvements

As our user base continues to grow, the development team has been working tirelessly to make Mesh the best free online dating service possible. Here are a few highlights of the improvements made this week:

Daily & Weekly Digests

Great news for busy bees! The Daily and Weekly Mesh Digests sums up your new visitors,  shortlists, Mutual Mesh and more in one concise email, so you can stay on the go without missing a beat.

Better “Interested In” Design

We’ve decided to put the ol’ “Seeking” check boxes to bed with a brand new horizontal split tab design so you can pick and chose more intuitively.

Clearer Visitors Indicator

Your “Visitors” section just got better! Not only did we fix a major bug, but we’ve also implemented a different color background to your new visitors so you can clearly tell who’s checking you out.

Other Updates

We’re happy to report that our design and development teams have been making tremendous progress with our mobile apps, in addition to improving login redirects and more routine bug nixes around the site to help you experience even better.

Keep an eye out for more updates and new features over the coming months. Have questions? You can always reach us at info@meshbetter.com. We’re listening.

It’s amazing how time can fly by in a snap. It’s been three weeks since we’ve opened our pre-beta doors and we’ve welcomed over 500 users and thousands of invites. With your insightful feedback and suggestions, Mesh is only getting better and better. So keep it coming!

Lights, Camera, Action!

What have we been up to? Early last week, Yeni, Meir and I were on set for a top secret project. Here’s a few sneak peeks:

All will be revealed soon…

We’ll continue to hit up NYC summer events next week with postcards and other goodies, so follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and the Mesh blog to keep track of where we’ll be next!

Updates & Improvements

As our user base continues to grow, the development team has been working tirelessly to make Mesh the best free online dating service possible. Here are a few highlights of the improvements made this week:

More Bugs Fixed

A few of you mentioned troubles with uploading photos and raised the flag about faulty avatar icons for transgender and non-binary users. We’re happy to have resolved these issues – thanks for letting us know.

More Answered Questions in Common

Thanks to one users’ helpful suggestion, we’ve updated our algorithm so that everyone is answering more of the same initial questions. The result is more overlapping questions with other users, ensuring a more accurate Mesh Factor percentage.

Expanded Photo Format

We’ve added photo support for WebP format, so you can upload with even more options.

Expanded Photo Bookmark Functionality

Photo bookmarks just got better! Now you can order your photos directly in your photo gallery.

Keep an eye out for more updates and new features over the coming months. Have questions? You can always reach us at info@meshbetter.com. We’re listening.

Happy 4th of July! Since we opened our pre-beta doors two weeks ago, we’ve welcomed hundreds of users. And their insightful feedback and support has helped us build a better site. So what have we been up to this week?

Pride Weekend

This past weekend, Yeni and I took to the streets to let the LGBTQ community know how proud Mesh is to welcome everyone. We  walked with pride in the Dyke March on Saturday, and cheered everyone on during the Pride Parade on Sunday. The outpour of love was amazing, and we were happy to be a part of it all.

If you missed us during Pride Weekend, don’t fret. We’ll be hitting up other NYC summer events, so follow us to keep track of where we’ll be next!

Updates & Improvements

As our user base continues to grow, our development team has been working tirelessly around the clock to make Mesh the best free online dating site available. Here are a few highlights of the improvements made this week:

More Bugs Fixed

We’ve been nixing technical issues, ensuring a better mobile experience, improved photo uploader and more.

Expanded Identification Options

To quote our co-founder, Yeni, “It will never take a petition to get us to listen.” We heard your feedback and expanded our original identification options to include “non-binary” as a gender, on top of our original “transgender” and “queer.

Keep an eye out for more updates and new features over the coming months. Have questions? You can always reach us at info@meshbetter.com. We’re listening.

When the World Cup arrives to a sports bar near you, it’s easily the best thing to happen to dating since the smart phone. Something about the impassioned cheering and sweaty team pride makes it a magical month indeed — one that just seems to brim with sexual and romantic promise, am I right? Amen.

Sexy soccer players aside, your time is far too precious to waste on the wrong match. It’s like showing up to watch Costa Rica versus Brazil only to find a cricket game on TV. Big bummer.

That’s why Mesh created Dealbreakers. All you have to do is let us know your dating non-negotiables (we all have them, don’t be shy) and we’ll do the dirty work and filter out anyone who doesn’t meet your criteria.

To give this a real time World Cup example, John might secretly be Ann Coulter’s number one fan. Marjorie may find this quirky when she learns it on date three and the two will travel down a blissful road thumbing through her books on the weekends. On the flipside, Kelly might hang out with John only to horrifyingly find If Democrats Had Any Brains They’d Be Republicans peaking out of his bag and have to leave the date immediately. Looks like Kelly may have identified one of her dating dealbreakers.

A first date is a first date. But a first date where you can rest assured the object of your affection isn’t secretly harboring one of your dealbreakers is that much more sweet. Don’t you agree?

After all, we at Mesh want you to score. But while some dating apps out there are only interested in a barrage of possible shots (many times pointless misfires and misguided punts) we want to give your game a little more guidance, so you can win the entire tournament, not just a lousy goal.