In this episode, Brittnee talks about her mission to tackle dating app fatigue by reintroducing intentional connection into online dating.

Barnes, whose background is in building and scaling consumer brands, co-founded Vybes after sharing frustrations with friends—now co-founders—about the time-consuming and often unrewarding nature of modern dating apps.

While swiping delivers matches at scale, she argues that users struggle not with attraction, but with meaningful connection after matching.

Rather than relying on traditional paid advertising, Vybes is bringing creators into its ecosystem as aligned partners with vested interests in the brand. Barnes believes this approach resonates particularly strongly with Gen Z, who are increasingly skeptical of inauthentic sponsored content.

Having completed a seed round, the company is now in growth mode and expects to raise a Series A later this year. Barnes’ vision is clear: move dating beyond gamified swiping and build a culturally relevant, creator-powered, community-driven platform that prioritizes confidence, chemistry, and authentic connection.