Tinder was originally called Matchbox. It wasn't catchy enough. It was changed to "Tinder" to bring connotations of fire and warmth.
The founders promoted Tinder on the University of Southern California campus. It was a great audience for a mobile dating app. First, they collected 500 students' phone numbers and texted them about Tinder.
Then, they asked one girl if they could turn her birthday party into a "Tinder party" because she had a bus ordered by Justin Mateen's brother. Mateen was one of Tinder's co-founders. The girl agreed. They called it a Tinder party and made one requirement for their participants: download Tinder to enter the bus. Everyone had to show the app on their phones. 400 people did this.
Later, the founders visited any fraternity and sorority they could and talked about Tinder there. That gave another 100s users night after night. They even talked to people on the street and hit coffee shops. Swiping profiles left and right made it more like a social game, so students loved it.
