At the age of 28, most people are still finding their feet in their chosen careers. Sean Rad is a different breed entirely, having already discovered his passion for enhancing the way people communicate and connect was apparent from a young age. This in turn led him to launch several successful business ventures all with that social mission, with 2012's launch of Tinder, landing Rad on Forbes' list of '30 under 30' in 2013.

And it's a continuing success, with Tinder having already made 8 billion matches in just over two years and having become an integral part of the everyday lives of 50 million people around the world.

But let's take a step back. What is Tinder, you ask, and why is it doing so well?

The basic idea behind Tinder - meeting new people - is a fundamental human need, but very difficult to accomplish. Tinder improves and simplifies the process by removing social and physical barriers, letting you make those all-important connections on your handset.

Rad described it as a "means to cure human loneliness and bring the world together", clearly demonstrating understanding of his audience. "Everyone wants a sense of belonging", he points out. Tinder provides just that.

It's certainly a winning formula, as 8 billion matches in just over two years amounts to 300 matches a second! So there is literally something - or someone - for everyone, because while the core target market of Tinder are the 18 - 24-year-olds, there's also a man of 60 who has had two successful 'date matches' since joining.

But it's not just individuals claiming success on Tinder: The fact that there are so many people on the platform makes it a great environment for advertisers to sell brands. In fact, so much so that brands are now creating their own profiles on Tinder.

Herein lies the crux, with people coming to Tinder to discover content, wanting to delight their users. It's easy to do, because Tinder creates value for the connections and everyone finds something they are looking for.

The key to being a Tinder success

The people who are most real on Tinder are the most successful, Rad states. It's about transparency. "Be yourself, tell a story and be transparent". The future of social media is all about transparency and connecting with the audience.

Tinder is definitely disrupting the category, culture, and the way we connect to one another by marrying timeless human needs with timely technologies to evolve the human experience, said Rad.

Just remember that, as on all social media sites, one has to sacrifice some degree of privacy. If you're willing to do that, you may just find your perfect match.