Hey, I'm Steve 👋🏼
For most of my life, I've deeply enjoyed exploring and wayfinding — I set out to understand entire ecosystems, then I help others navigate them.
Professionally, I'm a dating industry consultant, relationship coach, community builder, event host, and public speaker. I run my own small practice called Dateworking where I help individuals, founders, executives, and service providers navigate the modern dating ecosystem. I also run a parallel podcast called Dateworking where I explore the best methods for how we can better connect with one another in a world driven toward physical and emotional disconnection. My guests include founders, C-level execs, and community builders who are shaping the future of human connection.
Creating deep, authentic connections across communities is what I do. It’s what I live for. I host salons, dinners, meetups, and coworking sessions across multiple cities in order to bring people together from all over the world to share their stories and build new friendships, startups, and movements.
Since 2011, I've advised and recruited for dating sites like OkCupid, CoffeeMeetsBagel, and Hinge.
In 2012, I cofounded a career matchmaking startup, Jobsuitors, that used the algorithms of the dating industry to match people to their best-fit careers.
I LOVE writing about dating, relationships, and how to use data to map out our next moves in life. You can read most of my content on Substack as well as directly on Dateworking.com.
My mission is to help the world become a kinder, quirkier, more interconnected place. If you'd like to fuel those efforts, you can support me on Patreon, a platform where anyone can support the work of content creators they love.
Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to reach out anytime!
P.S. — Some additional funzies:
Podcast Appearances
- Clearer Thinking Podcast: Online and IRL Relationships
- Back2Basics Podcast: Modern Connections
- Horizontal with Lila
- Manwhore with Billy Procida
- Laserfiche by the Economist - What Dating Can Teach Us About Boosting Efficiency at Work
- Tinder Tales with David Piccolomini
Published Writings
- What are some good online dating messages which are likely to get a response?
- How do I have the “Are We Exclusive” talk?
- How To Say “No” Without Lies, Flaking, or Fadeaways
- How to Get Over a Breakup
- Why Excel Sheet Relationships Work Better
- The Power of a Personal Connection
- The Friendship-First Approach to Dating
- Breaking into Nonmonogamy
- Recipes for Human Connection
Want to get in touch? Message me below!
Copyright © 2024 Steve Dean Photography
Nearly all my photos were taken on some version of an iPhone, occasionally using the Procamera app, and occasionally edited with Snapseed.
Fun fact: I bult this entire website with Strikingly in less than 1 hour. If you want to build your own, I encourage you to use my referral link.