You Got My Card. Welcome to Guerrilla Dating.
No swiping, no algorithm, no "hey." Just a real guy who met you in real life and was too intrigued to let the moment pass without leaving a way to find him.
Hi. I'm the guy who handed you the card.
I'm Jesse Gilbert — a Santa Monica copywriter, branding guy and SEO specialist. Basically I write words that get people to take action for a living.
So when the dating apps started feeling like a second unpaid job (I paid Hinge, then failed its face verification five times), I tried something old-fashioned with a modern twist: a handsome little card, handed over in person, pointing to this page.
No pressure. You're not on a clock and you don't have to match. You get to read about me at your own pace, with no awkward eye contact, and decide if I'm worth a coffee.
Watch My 60-Second Intro →
Why a card instead of an app?
Apps reward the swipe. Cards reward the moment.
You already know I'm a real, verified-by-reality human being. You saw me. No catfish risk.
Low pressure, high curiosity.
A cold approach asks you to decide on the spot. A card lets you decide later, privately, on your terms.
A landing page beats a profile.
Six photos and a prompt about tacos tell you nothing. A page tells you how I think, what I make, and what I'm like on video.
AI-enhanced, human-delivered.
I use AI to build and polish this page the same way I do for clients. I'm looking for an AI-Savvy female I can relate to.
Quick rules of the experiment
- 1.I only hand out cards in person — no mass mailing, no DMs.
- 2.You reach out first, or never. Both are fine.
- 3.First date is something easy and public: coffee, a walk, tacos.
- 4.I'm making this into a digital guide / service on Guerilla dating. I'll share the strategy and overall results, but I will never use anyone's name or share private details.
Pick your next move
Find me around the Westside
I hand out cards where I actually spend my time. Each neighborhood has its own page — and its own first-date plan.
Los Angeles
Griffith Observatory, a downtown rooftop, a sunset drive up PCH.
Read the Los Angeles page →Santa Monica
The home base. Montana Ave coffee, a bike ride on the strand, the pier at sunset.
Read the Santa Monica page →Venice
Abbot Kinney for coffee, the canals for a walk, the boardwalk for people-watching.
Read the Venice page →Culver City
Coffee in the Arts District, the Baldwin Hills stairs, dinner on Washington.
Read the Culver City page →West Hollywood
Coffee on Melrose, the Design District, a sunset drink above the Strip.
Read the West Hollywood page →Beverly Hills
Coffee off Beverly Drive, Beverly Gardens, an early dinner.
Read the Beverly Hills page →Westwood
Coffee in the Village, the Hammer Museum, a movie at the Bruin.
Read the Westwood page →Brentwood
San Vicente coffee, the Country Mart, a walk up to the Getty.
Read the Brentwood page →Century City
Lunch-break coffee near the towers, Westfield gardens, an after-work drink.
Read the Century City page →Manhattan Beach
Coffee downtown, the pier, sunset volleyball.
Read the Manhattan Beach page →Malibu
Coffee at the Country Mart, Point Dume, fish tacos by the ocean.
Read the Malibu page →Guerrilla Dating: a direct-response dating funnel for men who are done with apps.
If you found this page through Google and not a card, here's what's going on. Guerrilla dating takes the playbook of direct-response marketing — a sharp offer, a low-friction first step, a page that does the selling — and applies it to meeting people in real life. It's an alternative to dating apps in LA for engineers, founders and creators who'd rather build something than swipe on something.
Want your own version (the card, the page, the copy)? That's literally my job.
Get 5 Free DesignsQuestions
Is this real?
Yes. The card was real, I'm real, the offer of coffee is real.
Isn't this a little bizarre?
A little. So is matching with a stranger based on one photo of a fish.
Will I end up on your Substack?
The experiment will; you won't. No names, no private details, ever.
Why did I get a card?
Something you said or did made me curious. That's the whole reason.