He flips through stock images of smiling men. “Maybe when your friends are leaving, the just-okay guy asks you to stay for another drink. You could stay, or you could go to the next bar with your friends. How do you know if you should stay, or if another guy, a better guy, is at the next bar, or the other one down the street, or even at the 7:00 a.m. yoga class you were going to attend tomorrow, had you gone home early? There are 16,000 bars in New York City alone and on a Friday night, roughly half of them are filled with guys like the one you are taking to. You have no way of knowing if the guys in the bar with you are the best people, or if the girl or guy of your dreams is just down the street at the Irish pub, or any of the other thousands of places.”

A slide comes up, featuring hundreds of headshots of people, young and old, attractive and not so attractive.

“Of course, you could try online dating.” He takes a step away from the center of the room. “Dating apps aren’t much better at letting you know who the crème de la crème is. They narrow the size of the ‘room’ you’re in, but not necessarily by quality. After all, just because someone’s favorite movie is Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and yours is too doesn’t mean they’re the person of your dreams.

“But I ask you.” A flirty smile plays on his lips. “What if there was an app that could take you to a singles bar, where the party is big enough that you’re drawing from the whole world but small enough not to overwhelm you...because, with the flip of a switch, you can block out all the noise. Now you’re in a room with only the most charming, the most attractive and the brightest of all.”

He clicks a button, and most of the headshots on the screen fade to black, leaving only the supermodel-level hot people.

Around me, note cards are folded into laps and computers are closed. There is barely a sound in the auditorium besides Braden’s voice. He has captivated the room.

“So without further ado, I would like to invite you to the most exclusive party around. Ladies and gentlemen, you are invited to sign up for the most exclusive dating app in the country. You are free to find out whether or not you are—and whether you deserve—a Perfect10.”

A logo I have never seen before comes up on screen. And I must admit, it’s not half-bad.

I lean forward to see Professor Thomas more clearly. He unfolds his arms. Turning his head to the side, he studies Braden with his chin resting on his hand.