Yin & Young EP 54 - Rachel Lo - Struck CEO & Co-Founder

In this episode we chat with the Struck CEO & Co-Founder, Rachel Lo! She shares her journey coming from a secular, technical background to developing an astrology-based dating app. Even if you're an astrology skeptic (like James), there still definitely something to be gained from this discussion. Rachel's message to skeptics: "Consider why astrology makes you so uncomfortable? Is it really harming you/other people, or is it just that you’re unfamiliar with it? Also: try reading your birth chart and see how it resonates with you!" HIGHLIGHTS: - Rachel grew up in the South Bay of LA and went to UC Berkeley for engineering. - Worked at Apple and other tech companies for a few years - Didn't believe in astrology at first, but the inequities in the workforce made Rachel consider that the world isn't concrete and filled with more nuance. - Met her co-founder after renting a house in SF with others working at Apple. - Struck designed to make experiences more meaningful and fun, it's based off astrological compatibility. - Dating apps have a similar playbook for launching apps, but the pandemic disrupted that. - Struck was in the Top 10 lifestyle apps in the Apple App Store. - James initially hesitant to have Rachel on as a guest due to his skepticism of astrology. - Parents immigrated from Hong Kong and met in NY - Struck is rooted in Western astrology (Hellenistic/Greek). - Parents were supportive of Rachel starting Struck. - Rachel breaks down James's and Dan's astrological chart - Had issues with the Apple App Store due to their restrictions on astrology apps. - Dating apps were engineered for people to continue to date, i.e. endless swiping. Struck aims to change that. LINKS: - Struck: https://www.struckapp.com/ - Struck IG: https://www.instagram.com/struck.app/ - Struck TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@struckapp LANGUAGE CORNER: Mandarin: - 相親 - xiāngqīn - blind date - 紅娘 hóngniáng (lít. red woman) / 媒人 méiren - matchmaker Cantonese: - 飲茶 - yám chà - Yum Cha, lit. drink tea, traditional Cantonese brunch with tea and dim sum. Japanese: - イケ面 - ikemen - good-looking guy - ギャル - gyaru - slang word for "gal", a Japanese subculture for woman who are tanned, have dyed hair, colored contacts, and other fashion trends. Be sure to follow us on Facebook & Instagram: @yinyoungpodcast. Like and subscribe to our content so you don’t miss an episode. Credits: This episode was produced by James Y. Shih and Daniel Yin. — Consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/yinyoungpodcast Follow Yin & Young: - Website: http://www.jamesyshih.com/yin-young-podcast - iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/yin-young-podcast-jys/id1185421015?mt=2 - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yinyoungpodcast/ - Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/rkrynzq - Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/yin-young-podcast Comments, questions? Email us at [email protected].