Launched at a party at the University of Southern California in the fall of 2012, Tinder has exploded to be one of the dating world’s leading tools for everything from one night stands to happily ever after.

Constantly tinkering with its design since the beta release (which includes the badly needed option to reverse an errant left swipe), Sean Rad, Jonathan Badeen and Justin Mateen have enjoyed the kind of startup success that other struggling tech entrepreneurs can only dream about. How has Tinder changed the dating game? Read up on this cultural phenomenon below…

You can hook up without dealing with “meat markets”

In the world before Tinder, you either had to tangle with dating sites and all of their shady aspects, or you had to go to bars in your area, pay egregious cover charges for mediocre DJ’s, and negotiate your way through heaving crowds on sticky floors in search of a mate to seduce, all while competing with throbbing 120dB music.

Sounds like fun, right?

With Tinder, all that has changed, as those seeking a temporary (but compatible) companion have the option of cruising the profiles of suitable singles in their immediate vicinity, and swiping right on the candidates they like best. Those that respond in kind allow the user to begin an immediate dialogue, which often ends in a satisfying meeting shortly thereafter.

You can vet your prospects before meeting up for the first time

While the mass inebriation of those in meat market bars makes taking someone home easy for those with basic social skills, the complete lack of information that you have to make a decision in these circumstances can lead to some awkward moments.

With Tinder, mutual interests, physical characteristics, and clues as to their personal philosophies on life are all there for you to evaluate, and with the ability to chat up your prospect before planning a meeting, your chances of having a meeting that levels with your expectations are much higher than the alternative, which is often a shot in the dark that yields sub-par results.

More than just FWB’s: Tinder leads to meaningful relationships

Tinder may be good at finding lonely singles “casual friends with side benefits”, but the amount of information and the on-board analysis of it leads to such good matches that it often leads to a serious relationship as the months go by. The track record of success that this app has had places it above many dating sites, which often promise the world but offer inconsistent results for various individuals.