From match to first date: a practical guide

A first meeting should be easy to enter, easy to leave and focused on discovering whether the online connection survives real life.

Keep the plan simple

A coffee, walk or casual public venue makes it easy to focus on the person instead of a complicated activity.

Keep control of your logistics

Choose a public place, manage your own transport and tell someone where you are going. Do not make the first meeting dependent on the other person for getting home.

Look for reciprocity, not performance

You are not auditioning. Notice whether curiosity, attention and effort move in both directions.