Santi Garza avatarSANTI GARZA

From Early Engineer to Tech Pioneer: My Journey at Tinder

As one of Tinder's first engineers, I helped build the foundation of what would become the world's most popular dating app. Learn about my experience working with the founding team and contributing to a platform that revolutionized online dating.

Early Tinder team backend engineer, employee #35 worked with founder team
Working with the Tinder founding team to build the future of online dating

In the early days of Tinder, when the app was just beginning to revolutionize online dating, I joined as one of the first engineers. As employee #35, I had the unique opportunity to work directly with the founding team and help shape the future of social networking.

The Early Days

When I joined Tinder, the app was already showing signs of explosive growth. My role as a backend engineer put me at the heart of the platform's technical evolution. Working alongside the founding team, I contributed to building the robust infrastructure that would support millions of users and billions of matches.

Technical Innovation

One of the most exciting aspects of being an early engineer at Tinder was the opportunity to solve unique technical challenges. We were building something that had never been done before at this scale - a real-time matching system that needed to be both lightning-fast and incredibly reliable.

Growth and Impact

During my time at Tinder, I witnessed the app's incredible growth from a startup to a global phenomenon. The platform's success wasn't just about the technology - it was about creating a product that genuinely improved people's lives by making meaningful connections more accessible.

Key Contributions

  • Developed core backend systems that scaled to support millions of users
  • Worked directly with the founding team on critical product decisions
  • Helped build the real-time matching infrastructure
  • Contributed to the platform's security and reliability
  • Participated in the company's rapid growth and success

Legacy and Learning

My experience at Tinder taught me invaluable lessons about building scalable platforms, working with passionate teams, and creating products that truly make a difference. These insights continue to influence my work as a tech founder and consultant today.

Want to Learn More?

If you're interested in learning more about my experience at Tinder or how these insights can benefit your project, I'd love to connect. Whether you're building a social platform, scaling a tech product, or looking for technical guidance, I'm here to help.

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