Grindr and Terminal: Connecting Hearts and Talent with a Swipe of Innovation

Grindr is a trailblazer in LGBTQ+ social networking, empowering millions globally. Through its innovative platform, Grindr fosters connections, identities, and advocacy for inclusivity. With cutting-edge technology and a commitment to user safety, Grindr reshapes cultural discourse and promotes equality worldwide.

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Key Takeaways

CHALLENGES

Grindr was looking for cost-effective ways to grow their Engineering team quickly with high quality engineers. They also wanted to bring their team back in-office to create a more collaborative atmosphere.

Given the strong competition in the US, the Grindr team decided to look at Latin America to build their Mobile Advertising team. After some deliberation, Grindr decided to build their first international Engineering Center of Excellence in Medellín, Colombia by partnering with Terminal.


ENGAGEMENT SUCCESS

Grindr’s initial talent strategy was to hire 1 Engineering Manager followed by a team of 6 mid to senior level Engineers.

In the first week of the engagement, the Grindr team was able to calibrate on the right candidates using Terminal’s TalentHub and working directly with Terminal’s Talent Team.

In just two weeks, Grindr successfully hired the Engineering Manager to oversee the Colombia-based Engineering team, followed by hires for their iOS, Android, and BE Engineering openings.

The initial goal of 7 hires was quickly exceeded by building out a team of 10 Engineers in just over a quarter. From there, the team continued to scale significantly growing into a 40+ person engineering organization in Latin America, supported by multiple Engineering Managers (now 3). An estimated >50% cost-savings ($5 million annually) have been achieved by expanding nearshore with Terminal.


IMPACT

  • Scaled from 1 to 3 Engineering Managers

  • Built a team of 40+ engineers in Latin America

  • Established a long-term Center of Excellence in Colombia

  • Achieved >50% cost savings (~$5M annually)

  • Maintained strong hiring efficiency with a ~5:1 submission-to-hire ratio


LOOKING AHEAD

Grindr is confident that Terminal can continue to deliver high-quality talent that is not only technically strong, but also a strong cultural fit for their growing international team.

What began as a plan to build a small team has evolved into a core part of Grindr’s global engineering strategy. With a growing leadership layer and a 40+ person team already in place, Grindr plans to continue expanding its presence in Latin America across both individual contributor and management roles.

With a market cap that is up over 50% over the past year, the Grindr team continues to ship excellent product and attract great team members in LatAm.

"Terminal was pivotal in scaling Grindr’s engineering team to Latin America. The talent available through their platform, combined with their technology and dedicated support, has enabled us to establish a new development team in Latin America efficiently and successfully." SVP, Engineering & Chief Information Security Officer Grindr University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Joel Keating

SVP, Engineering & CISO Grindr