Looking for love in Seattle took an unexpected turn when Reid Miller, a 26-year-old Amazon software engineer, decided to bypass dating apps.

Instead of swiping on Tinder or Hinge, Miller’s friends swooped in instead.

They created flyers that read “DATE OUR FRIEND” with a picture of Miller and a list of some his datable qualities: “He’s above average looking! He’s employed! He’s fun, adventurous, and supportive! He follows through! He’ll show up, and text you back!”

The flyers have been handed out and posted around the Ballard neighborhood where Miller lives. A QR code takes people to a website: DateReid.com.

In a city where the so-called “Seattle freeze,” anti-tech sensibilities, and dating culture can often collide clumsily, the entire effort is an exercise in just putting oneself out there.

“I had no idea it was gonna be a flyer, a website, all that,” Miller told GeekWire, adding that he was in a bar when someone showed him a picture. “I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s me!’ But I’m taking it pretty seriously.”

The mastermind behind the operation is Bryn Lloyd-Davies, who also works in tech and is dating Miller’s best friend, Eric. They’ve watched Miller navigate post-breakup dating in the city.

“We made the website because he and Eric have got an adorable bromance going on, and we joke that I’m trying to find a girlfriend for my boyfriend’s boyfriend,” Lloyd-Davies said.

Behind the lighthearted joke was a real frustration with modern dating. Miller moved to Seattle from Milwaukee four years ago while in a committed relationship. When it ended he entered another relationship, which also ended, and he’s dated a little since.

“I think dating anywhere is especially hard these days and it just seems to get harder and harder the more terminally online we become as a society,” Lloyd-Davies said. “Someone like him who very quickly stands out as so genuine and a green flag in real life is hard to discern from 100 low effort flaky people on a dating app.”

She added that Miller has genuine “golden retriever energy.”

The Date Reid website home page asks ladies if they’re “looking for the real deal,” and describes Reid as an outgoing 6-footer with a dash of Midwest charm. The about page gets more into his Wisconsin roots and education at the other UW while also listing some of his sporty pursuits, including competitive water skiing, snow skiing, rock climbing, and restaurant and brewery hopping.

There’s a page of photos that women can scroll through rather than swipe past, and another with videos of Reid doing some of that sporty stuff that’s mentioned.

Interested women (ages 21-31) can fill out an “application form” via the website where they’re asked if they’re gainfully employed, how adventurous they are on a scale of 1 to 5, and whether they have any dealbreakers when it comes to a significant other.

Women are also encouraged to upload a few photos because, as the site says, “Looks aren’t everything but let’s be real, attraction is important!”

The site attracted at least 13 applications on Thursday after a picture of one of the flyers was posted on Reddit. That exceeds the total number of applications that have trickled in over the past month. Lloyd-Davies said the website went from a previous high of about 75 views in a single day to more than 3,000 by Thursday afternoon.

Miller, who works on AWS networking at Amazon, acknowledges that leading with a tech background doesn’t always yield instant bonus points on a date.

“On the outside, I think people put a little ‘minus one’ in their mind next to when you say software engineer,” Miller said. “You’ve just got to own it. It’s my living, it’s my life.”

As for what comes next, Miller is keeping an open mind and preparing to sort through the incoming responses. He emphasizes that he intends to honor the effort of anyone who takes the time to put themselves out there, read every application, and treat everybody with respect.

“Dating’s a numbers game, so I appreciate it,” Miller said. “My whole goal is to look for what I’m looking for, but also make sure we both have a good time and just both leave it happy.”

Can’t a tech bro catch a break?

A live dating show that has made stops in Seattle sheds a little bit of light on how tech workers in the city are received, according to a new report from Axios Seattle.

Allison Goldberg, comedian and host of “Love Isn’t Blind,” says that when she introduces a contestant who is a software engineer, the audience boos.

“I’m sorry, are we booing a man with a job?” Goldberg said in the Axios story. “I live in Los Angeles, where I would love to meet a man with a job and benefits.”

The insight offers unscientific, but at least anecdotal proof that Seattle has never really come to terms with its tech-fueled identity crisis.

Decades into the city’s growth into a tech hub, the tension between Seattle’s blue-collar, artsy roots and the high-earning tech influx remains palpably unresolved. Even as software engineers and Amazonians make up a massive slice of the local population, the cultural friction lingers.

Tech workers are an easy, almost reflexive punchline for local audiences who still harbor a little resentment over skyrocketing rent, gentrification, and shifting city vibes. GeekWire witnessed another version of tech roasting several years ago when the comedy show “Socially Inept” was in town. And we’ve documented anti-tech messaging in graffiti and stickers across the city.

“Love Isn’t Blind” is aimed at singles who are tired of swiping. “F*** the apps,” it says on its website.

Men compete on stage for one “lucky bachelorette” — but the men are not allowed to speak. Instead, Axios reports, “Goldberg searches their phones, calls their moms and rifles through their Notes and AI apps while the audience waves literal green flags to show approval.”

Goldberg, whose show tours the country, also said the contestants and audience members in Seattle skew smarter than average, with more software engineers and Ph.D.s than most cities. Maybe that just means more booing.

Tech workers, or any other brave singles, can apply to be on the show or nominate a friend. “Love Isn’t Blind” returns to Seattle this Friday at the Fremont Abbey Arts Center.

Go cheer for a geek!