Becker Business Podcast: "Grindr Goes Soft" (October 4, 2025)

Overview of Episode Theme

Host Scott Becker delivers a quick-take episode diving into the fortunes of Grindr, a stock he follows closely, largely for personal amusement and due to a colleague’s ongoing interest. Today’s focus is how Grindr’s stock performance has stumbled in 2025—and what that says about investing in digital matchmaking and hookup platforms. Becker uses humor, candid language, and memorable analogies to discuss investment consequences and contrasts Grindr’s fate with other digital players.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Grindr’s Current Standing in the Stock Market

• Stock Performance: Grindr, once riding the online dating wave, has faltered in 2025, experiencing a 19% drop year-to-date.
• Position in the Market: Becker places Grindr alongside other digital matchmaking giants (e.g., Match Group), focusing on its niche in facilitating quick connections rather than traditional matchmaking.

2. The “Dildo of Consequences” Metaphor

• Investment Risks: Becker highlights the hazards of speculative tech and dating stocks, referencing the Internet meme: “The dildo of consequences rarely arrives lubed.”
  • Quote at [01:09]:

    “The dildo of consequences rarely arrives lubed. And this goes to the concept ... you might do something bad and you’re going to get smacked for it at some point. And, and like the dildo of consequences, it’s going to hurt, it’s going to come unlubed.”

• Implication for Investors: If you bet on a company like Grindr expecting constant upside, you’re exposed to sudden, painful downturns in value.

3. Contrasting Winners and Losers

• Outperformers: While Grindr stumbles, Hims & Hers (a digital health and wellness company) has so far surged an impressive 134% year-to-date.
  • Quote at [02:22]:

    “Hims and hers continues to knock it out of the park. Last time I looked up 134% year to date.”

• Broader Market Context: Amazon, despite its digital dominance, has been relatively flat—up only about 1% and now being valued more as a retailer than a tech dynamo.

4. Listener Engagement and Humor

• Acknowledging the Racy Content: Becker is unapologetic about the episode’s double entendres, hoping for more amusement than offense, and leans into the informality given the Saturday recording.
• Listener Challenge: In a bid for direct feedback (and tongue-in-cheek customer service), Becker promises a $100 Amazon gift certificate to the first person to text him their reaction.
  • Quote at [02:42]:

    “If you are the first person to complain about the horrible content in this particular episode and you text Scott Becker at 773-766-5322, we will send you a $100 Amazon gift certificate … you can tell me if you hate this episode, you love this episode, either way, we will send you 100 dollars.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Grindr Stock Humor ([00:47]):

  “Grindr itself has gone down, has gone flat, has gone flaccid, is down 19% year to [date].”

• On Risks and Internet Sayings ([01:09]):

  “The dildo of consequences rarely arrives lubed … you might do something bad and you’re going to get smacked for it at some point. And, and like the dildo of consequences, it’s going to hurt, it’s going to come unlubed.”

• Lighthearted Disclaimer ([01:50]):

  “Excuse me for all the double entendre. It's Saturday. Hopefully we get a kick out of this from some people. Hopefully not too many people unsubscribe.”

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|--------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Episode intro, theme: investing updates | | 00:30 | Grindr, market niche, stock performance | | 01:09 | “Dildo of consequences” metaphor explained | | 01:50 | Apology for racy tone, double entendres | | 02:22 | Hims & Hers: a big stock outperformer | | 02:40 | Amazon’s mediocre 2025 stock performance | | 02:42 | Listener feedback offer ($100 challenge) | | 03:03 | Episode closes |

Tone & Language

• Candid, irreverent, and playful, with liberal use of double entendres, reflecting a casual Saturday recording atmosphere.
• Becker’s commentary is conversational and lightly self-deprecating, designed for both humor and direct engagement with listeners interested in business news.

Summary

This brisk episode delivers candid business news with a heavy dose of personality. Scott Becker uses Grindr’s 19% stock slide to discuss how digital hookup platforms can be risky bets, injecting comic relief through the infamous “dildo of consequences” metaphor (a favorite among Internet meme aficionados). He contrasts this with the stunning success of Hims & Hers and the staid progress of Amazon, offering context and comparison for investors. The episode closes with interactive (and cheekily bribed) audience engagement, embodying the Becker Business ethos: ambitious business talk, unfiltered—and with a wink.