its not just MARK ZUCKERBERG who’s in “startup mode” these days. Grindr CEO GEORGE ARISON is deliberately keeping the company’s fledgling telemedicine business, Woodwork, small in the hopes that it will give it a bigger chance of success.

Grindr announced its telemedicine venture Woodwork, which offers erectile dysfunction medication, in May. The service “started small” only available in Pennsylvania and Illinois.

ARISON told Business Insider that the scaled-down nature was by design. He wants Woodwork’s leaders to operate as a “founding team of a company” – and not get overfed by corporate resources.

“It’s a very small nimble team,” ARISON said. “We could easily give them two more people and wouldn’t really make a difference to the Grindr parent company, but you don’t want to overstaff something like that.”

Woodwork has three full-time employees, ARISON said.

ARISON also didn’t want Woodwork to have access to to many users, which led to his second constraint: restricting advertising. While painting the Grindr app with Woodwork ads would be a low-cost expansion option, ARISON said it would be bad for the health of the business.

“I don’t want them to have unlimited access to people on the product,” ARISON said. “I actually want to limit them to users so they can ensure they can learn from every single user that they’re engaging with.”

With the product rolled out in two states, ARISON said it was “enough users where you are learning every day, but not too many where you think you’re growing when in reality you’re not really growing well yet.”

Meta has also looked to replicate a startup-like ethos with its superintelligence AI unit, though on a much larger scale – and talent budget – than Woodwork.Meta famously poached some AI employees.

The Lean Startup Approach

The strategy employed by Grindr’s CEO echoes the principles of the “lean startup” methodology,which emphasizes validated learning,scientific experimentation,and iterative product releases. By limiting resources and focusing on a small,dedicated team,Woodwork aims to quickly adapt to user feedback and market demands.

“It’s a very small nimble team…you don’t want to overstaff something like that.”

Telemedicine: A Growing Market

Woodwork’s entry into the telemedicine market aligns with a broader trend of increasing adoption of virtual healthcare services. Telemedicine offers convenience,accessibility,and cost-effectiveness,making it an attractive option for patients seeking medical care.