If you want to succeed on Etsy, you may want to #putabirdonit — but on Tinder, putting a puppy on your profile picture is what may help you rake in matches. At least that's what 21-year-old L.A.-based startup advisor James Shamsi found, so he's creating #Puppify, an app that realistically edits a puppy into your photos.
"This is for anyone that wants a puppy in their life, but for some reason they can't have [one] — and also for anyone that wants to get laid more on Tinder," Shamsi told Refinery29 via email. He came up with the idea for the app, which will ship to the App Store and Google Play later this month for $3 a pop, after a friend got a new puppy.
"The next thing I did was take a selfie with it and made it my new Tinder profile picture. The result? Let's just say it's the closest to feeling like Dan Bilzerian that I'll ever get," Shamsi said.
He started working on #Puppify as a joke and side project, which is evidenced by its questionably tasteful tagline: "Because bitches love bitches." Really? Apparently, the slogan is the brainchild of one of #Puppify's lead engineers, Lucy Axters. Shamsi admits the slogan can definitely come across as sexist and will change it if more people find it offensive, "But we're using it playfully, as the app can equally be used by women to get more matches on Tinder, too." Because dawgs like dogs?
As for the app itself, you upload a photo of yourself holding something resembling the size of a puppy (in sample images, people held a cup or ball), and the app will do its photoshopping magic. #Puppify will feature a variety of puppy options for your photo and will accept requests to add more breeds once it goes live. Right now, the app is garnering a growing number of wait list sign ups through its webpage, even though it won't be launching for a few more weeks.
But let's be real, Photoshopping a dog into a photo really isn't all that complicated. Is it really worth a $3 download?
"If this does make even enough money to buy In-N-Out for the entire team, we'll be happy," Shamsi said.
If your Tinder game isn't on fire, you can #putapuppyonit and let us know if things heat up.
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