Looking for love in Seattle took an unexpected turn when Reid Miller, a 26-year-old Amazon software engineer, decided to bypass dating apps.
Instead of swiping on Tinder or Hinge, Miller’s friends swooped in instead.
They created flyers that read “DATE OUR FRIEND” with a picture of Miller and a list of some his datable qualities: “He’s above average looking! He’s employed! He’s fun, adventurous, and supportive! He follows through! He’ll show up, and text you back!”
The flyers have been handed out and posted around the Ballard neighborhood where Miller lives. A QR code takes people to a website: DateReid.com.
In a city where the so-called “Seattle freeze,” anti-tech sensibilities, and dating culture can often collide clumsily, the entire effort is an exercise in just putting oneself out there.
“I had no idea it was gonna be a flyer, a website, all that,” Miller told GeekWire, adding that he was in a bar when someone showed him a picture. “I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s me!’ But I’m taking it pretty seriously.”
The mastermind behind the operation is Bryn Lloyd-Davies, who also works in tech and is dating Miller’s best friend, Eric. They’ve watched Miller navigate post-breakup dating in the city.
“We made the website because he and Eric have got an adorable bromance going on, and we joke that I’m trying to find a girlfriend for my boyfriend’s boyfriend,” Lloyd-Davies said.
Behind the lighthearted joke was a real frustration with modern dating. Miller moved to Seattle from Milwaukee four years ago while in a committed relationship. When it ended he entered another relationship, which also ended, and he’s dated a little since.
“I think dating anywhere is especially hard these days and it just seems to get harder and harder the more terminally online we become as a society,” Lloyd-Davies said. “Someone like him who very quickly stands out as so genuine and a green flag in real life is hard to discern from 100 low effort flaky people on a dating app.”
She added that Miller has genuine “golden retriever energy.”
The Date Reid website home page asks ladies if they’re “looking for the real deal,” and describes Reid as an outgoing 6-footer with a dash of Midwest charm. The about page gets more into his Wisconsin roots and education at the other UW while also listing some of his sporty pursuits, including competitive water skiing, snow skiing, rock climbing, and restaurant and brewery hopping.
There’s a page of photos that women can scroll through rather than swipe past, and another with videos of Reid doing some of that sporty stuff that’s mentioned.
Interested women (ages 21-31) can fill out an “application form” via the website where they’re asked if they’re gainfully employed, how adventurous they are on a scale of 1 to 5, and whether they have any dealbreakers when it comes to a significant other.
Women are also encouraged to upload a few photos because, as the site says, “Looks aren’t everything but let’s be real, attraction is important!”
The site attracted at least 13 applications on Thursday after a picture of one of the flyers was posted on Reddit. That exceeds the total number of applications that have trickled in over the past month. Lloyd-Davies said the website went from a previous high of about 75 views in a single day to more than 3,000 by Thursday afternoon.
Miller, who works on AWS networking at Amazon, acknowledges that leading with a tech background doesn’t always yield instant bonus points on a date.
“On the outside, I think people put a little ‘minus one’ in their mind next to when you say software engineer,” Miller said. “You’ve just got to own it. It’s my living, it’s my life.”
As for what comes next, Miller is keeping an open mind and preparing to sort through the incoming responses. He emphasizes that he intends to honor the effort of anyone who takes the time to put themselves out there, read every application, and treat everybody with respect.
“Dating’s a numbers game, so I appreciate it,” Miller said. “My whole goal is to look for what I’m looking for, but also make sure we both have a good time and just both leave it happy.”
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