WittyThumbs will help you decipher what your date’s messages really mean

Online and mobile-based dating has always had one major issue – it’s really hard to figure out what your match’s messages mean.

Sure, they may think they are being direct and to the point, but if you’ve ever actually tried a dating app you know this isn’t the case.

Enter WittyThumbs. Launching today, the website is the first product from Hermes, a YC-based startup that wants to help people improve their dating lives via educational content and expert help.

WittyThumbs is essentially RapGenius for dating conversations. You take a screenshot of your text messages, upload it to the site, and users can annotate and give feedback. 

The startup was founded by Liron Shapira and Lior Gotesman, who started the company with the thesis that thanks to apps like Tinder and Bumble finding someone to date is no longer the hard part – now it’s all about knowing what to say to get their attention.

Plus, before these apps most of us would date someone we were set up with or had something in common with. Now with so many matches being strangers, it’s more likely that you’ll be stuck trying to figure out what they are trying to say – even if your match isn’t trying to be elusive or confusing.

WittyThumb’s customers range in age and sex – the startup explained that it’s common to find someone in their early 20s who needs help starting to date, or someone in their 50s who is recently divorced and has never had to navigate chat-based dating.

There’s also a premium option to instantly chat with a dating expert for one on one feedback – this is billed by the minute, and starts at $30 for 30 minutes of advice. The founders explained that they have about 15 experts around the world, meaning you should be able to get live relationship help at any time of the day.

But of course all chat uploads are anonymous – users create new usernames for the site and blurs any identifying information in the screenshots, like profile pictures or real names and numbers.

While Hermes is starting with chat advice and analysis, eventually they plan on expanding their product line to help users during all parts of the dating process.