Hampton vs Met Through Friends

Pricing

Hampton is priced at $$$$ (Annual membership (pricing disclosed during application process)), while Met Through Friends comes in at $$ (Ticketed events; pricing varies by event (sold via external ticketing)).

Format & matching

Hampton uses groups of 8 per core group, compared to Met Through Friends’s 60+ per event, and both use manual / self-select matching.

How they work

Hampton: Head to joinhampton.com and submit an application. Hampton is invitation-only with an ~8% acceptance rate — you'll need to be an active founder or CEO of a tech-enabled business with at least $3M in annual revenue, $3M in capital raised, or a $10M+ previous exit. If accepted after a paper screening, structured interview, and community veto process, you pay an annual membership fee and get placed into a Core group of eight curated founders in your city. Your Core group meets in person ten times a year, facilitated by a trained moderator. Beyond that, you get access to local chapter events (dinners, workshops, signature experiences) and a private Slack network of 1,000+ members for rapid Q&A on business and personal topics.

Met Through Friends: Head to the Met Through Friends website and browse upcoming events in your city. Each event is a Plus-One Party — the catch is you have to bring a single friend of the orientation you're interested in dating. Buy tickets through their external ticketing platform and show up with your plus-one. The events are held at curated NYC and DC venues with facilitated social activities like backgammon nights and themed mixers. Because everyone was brought by a friend, there's built-in accountability and trust — no random strangers off a dating app.

What to love

Hampton: Extremely curated membership — ~8% acceptance rate ensures high-caliber peers. Core groups of 8 create real accountability and trust over time. In-person only meetings in your city — no Zoom calls pretending to be community. No-solicitation policy means nobody is trying to sell you anything. Bootstrapped company with long-term vision — not optimizing for a VC exit.

Met Through Friends: The bring-a-friend requirement creates built-in social accountability and trust. No app download required — just buy a ticket on the website and show up. Events are curated with real activities, not just standing around a bar. Gender and orientation inclusive, including dedicated Sapphic events. Founded by a certified dating coach who actually understands the NYC singles scene.

Reality check

Hampton: Pricing is not transparent — you have to apply just to learn the cost. Strict eligibility requirements exclude early-stage founders. Currently in 16 cities — if you're not in one, you're out of luck. No app — everything runs through a website and Slack.

Met Through Friends: Currently limited to NYC and DC — not available in most cities. You need a single friend to bring, which is a real barrier if your friends are all coupled up. No matching algorithm — you're on your own once you're at the event. Ticket pricing and event details aren't always transparent on the website.

Søren's take

On Hampton: Hampton isn't for most people, and that's the point. If you're a tech founder doing $3M+ in revenue and you're tired of generic networking events full of people pitching you, this is the real deal. The Core group model — eight people, same group, ten meetings a year — creates the kind of trust and candor you can't get from a conference or a Slack community alone. The price tag and exclusivity will turn off a lot of people, but for the founders who get in, the ROI is reportedly massive. Just know that this is a long-term commitment, not a casual membership you dip into.

On Met Through Friends: Met Through Friends is built on the most time-tested dating strategy there is: getting set up through people you trust. The plus-one requirement is the secret sauce — it filters out randos and creates a room where everyone has at least one person vouching for them. The events themselves are well-produced with real activities beyond just drinking. The limitation is obvious: you need a single friend willing to come with you, and if you're not in NYC or DC, you're out of luck. But if you are, and you've got a wingman ready, this is one of the best alternatives to swiping.