Appleton entrepreneur creates CoyAmore, a dating app for the introverted community
As dating apps continue to explode in popularity, a new company is entering the fray. And it all started with a discussion that Jon Pethke of Appleton had with friends.
“I was sitting in my office and we were talking about dating, and the conversation turned to dating apps,” Pethke said. “I said that I wished that apps were made for people like me who consider themselves introverts, and one of my friends said, ‘Why don’t you make it?’”
Although most people would just shrug their shoulders at an off-the-cuff remark like this, Pethke was immediately sold on the idea. Within a month, he formed Introwoo, LLC, and while continuing to work full time, started posting ideas on a whiteboard.
He said: “I bought a classroom-long whiteboard and did a lot of research. Everything was documented on the whiteboard, and when it was full, I took a photo, erased the board, and continually consolidated until it was organized into what I wanted the business to be.”
The result is a business model that fills a niche in the dating app industry. He named the business CoyAmore and designed it with features that make it easier for introverts to use.
“Dating apps can be difficult for the introverted community,” he said. “An app may say that it has features that make it more accessible, but they are just trying to reel in as many users as they can.”
Pethke promises that his app will actually deliver on the promise to be more user-friendly for introverts. He has added features with names like Boost, Retract, Reveal, Connect-to-Connect, and Blind Date. There is a Love Languages section to ensure compatibility before sending a request to connect.
His website, www.coyamore.com, provides additional details and invites users to test it and provide suggestions. For testing, Pethke says he has used friends, friends of friends, and family members.
“Once we finished the beta version, the testers found various bugs that we are working on getting fixed. Between those fixes and our rebranding of the logo, we hope to have a release date within the next few months,” he said.
The fixes are being made by CodeGlo Technologies of Appleton, a partner in the venture. Pethke, an U.S. Air Force veteran with a bachelor’s degree in organization management, said that he was trained in a number of areas, but app development was not among them.
“Finding a company to develop the app was one of the hardest things to do," he said. "I interviewed numbers of companies; when I talked to CodeGlo, I just had a really good feeling about it.”
CodeGlo is also assisting in rebranding. After selecting his first logo, he discovered that it closely resembled that of another company; hence, the need for a change. He recently selected a replacement.
Another area where he found great assistance was at the Venture Center at Fox Valley Technical College. He lauded Amy Pietsch, program director.
“The whole program was phenomenal,” Pethke said. “Without it, I would not be where I am. I formed the LLC in March 2022, and started the class two months later. It was genuinely the best back-to-back experience I could have had. For someone who already owned a business, the information might not have been surprising, but for me it was everything. Even after finishing, Amy has been super helpful.”
The courses and other study led him to write a business plan that continues to evolve. When the draft was completed, it numbered about 60 pages.
“The most challenging part was predicting revenue and expenses," he said. "You’re going off of statistics and market research and creating a plan based off of population, demographics, and other factors. It is hard to predict what will happen years down the line.”
But if it does go as he hopes, his goal is to have 1 million users within the first year. By the five-year point, he would like to be global. He believes that this app will bring something unique to the market.
This quest to be more user-friendly is in response to his personal experience. For the past decade, Pethke tried a variety of dating apps and never felt comfortable using any of them. So, when it came to developing a business model, he addressed those issues and now has a vision to create a community for introverts.
“If you think of someone with a gluten allergy wanting to go to a restaurant that features gluten-free food, the same thing follows," he said. "You want to have a place where you feel comfortable.”
The optional features allow users to provide as much or little information as they want. The Blind Date feature takes away the fear of asking someone out. A Toggle option allows for privacy until the other person toggles it on.
There are various options for use; from free to buying up to premium features. Pricing was based on other apps. With those details in place, the challenge now is to capture a slice of the dating app market that is estimated at 329 million users. That’s where marketing will be invaluable.
“We have a marketing plan; it is joint between CodeGlo and my company," he said. "CodeGlo will take on the social media whereas I want to reach out to reporters across the country. We also have an influencer program that is explained on the website.”
After a whirlwind year, he is confident that he is headed in the right direction. He finds inspiration from his brother, who started a business, and his parents, who always encouraged him to follow his dreams. In addition, Pethke smiles in recalling one of his favorite quotes; cited by the late Luke Perrry’s character on the show, “Riverdale": “Whatever you decide, be confident enough in it that you don’t have to lie.”
Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and past district director for SCORE, Wisconsin.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Appleton man creates CoyAmore, a dating app for introverted community
