And I also understand that online dating is more of a numbers game than a meet cute from some Nicholas Sparks movie.

Not only is that a much more fun question to answer, it's also a good little trick in getting the person to open up and reveal more of their personality.
Trust me, if there's one thing I've learned after years of being a journalist, it's that a well-timed quirky-yet-fun question will put a person at ease, and that almost always leads to a better conversation. " This is a surefire way to make the conversation drag.
It also has the potential to weed out the guys who have no sense of humor.
If he answers, "I'm Paleo and don't eat carbs," you should probably shut the whole operation down.
Most important, don't just talk about yourself. What pretty much all of my guy friends and I have found is that there's often a direct correlation between the girl who talks only about herself and the girl who's a self-absorbed nightmare in person.
Asking questions right off the bat will intrigue most intelligent, non-self-absorbed guys.
Then, you reach the point of serious contact, when you message one another to try and decide if he's someone who's actually worth leaving the house for.
And so you type, "Hey [Insert name of hopefully non-psycho guy here]." Right then and there, you've potentially failed your first dating app test.
View Success Stories Few of us have time to spend making conversation when there's obviously a lack of chemistry.