Mr. Allon: making hearts and algorithms throb.

Ori Allon, the charmed entrepreneur who has already sold one company to Google and another to Twitter, has been feverishly working on his third—Urban Compass. So far, Mr. Allon and founder Robert Reffkin won’t even say what Urban Compass does. But that air of mystery hasn’t slowed the company’s growth—they have raised $8 million from an impressive group of seed funders including Goldman Sachs, AmEx CEO Ken Chenault and Thrive Capital*. The start-up now has 18 employees and counting.

One of those 18 offers a clue to what Urban Compass will actually involve, and our guess is real estate. As first reported by The Real Deal, Gordon Golub, who was an Executive Vice President at Citi Habitats, left after 18 years to join Mr. Allon and Mr. Reffkin.

In an interview with The Observer, Mr. Allon said the idea for Urban Compass would be elemental. “I want to help people with their most important decisions. Anything from data collection to other services. So yes, real estate will be a part of it.”

Part of it?

“I want to help people find what they want,” said the dashing 32-year-old Israeli, who is so good looking that one commenter on The Verge wondered aloud, “Why is he even working? He should be getting paid just for being so handsome.”

Pressed to show a little more leg, Mr. Allon revealed a few more details, telling The Observer: “This is more of a real world problem that you’re trying to solve. It’s not a pure technology company. The other two”—referring to Orion, an algorithm he sold to Google in 2006 and Julpan, a social information tool he sold to Twitter in 2011—“were pure technology. Here, the operations side is very big. That’s why we have people like Gordon and Robert, who have a lot of experience.” Another co-founder, Mike Weiss, also comes from a real estate background, having worked in the real estate investment division at Goldman Sachs.

C’mon, Ori, can’t you give us a hint? “People will know very soon. We’ll have a beta version by the end of the quarter, which will be open to a limited number of people and by the summer, everyone will know what we’re doing.”

Startups are like professional sports—the world hears only about the one that becomes monetized, not the thousand that ended in heartbreak. Someone who creates two different companies that get bought by tech giants is about as rare as Bo Jackson playing pro football and baseball. And now Ori Allon is looking to become a three-sport athlete. Will he succeed? It’s tough to bet against a guy who’s done it twice, even if he won’t reveal the exact nature of the business.

But here’s something Mr. Allon will actually share. Mr. Allon isn’t trying to lure a tech giant this time, he is building something he hopes to run. “My main motivation is not to sell the company. I’m very happy with my previous companies, and I’m happy that those technologies are part of Google today and part of Twitter. But now I’m building a platform. A human network. And a lot of our success, hopefully, will come from this operation. We just want to make life easier for New Yorkers.”

*Disclosure: Thrive Capital is invested in several start-up companies. Josh Kushner, a Thrive principal, is also part-owner of Observer Media Group. Observer Media Group has no affiliation with Thrive Capital and the views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Thrive Capital or its principals.

The New York Daily News' Scott Cohen, who was tasked with a key piece of the tabloid's survival as the editor of the paper's website, is leaving after four years. He's off to go work at a startup.

We're told a replacement for Cohen—whose official title was changed during a November shakeup prioritizing web over print, from Executive Editor of NYDN Digital to Senior Managing Editor of Digital—has not yet been named.

Cohen confirmed his depature with The Observer shortly before making it public. A spokesperson for the New York Daily News did not return a request for comment on whether or not a replacement has been named.

His new gig? We've heard he'll be moving onto a startup called Vocativ, billed as "an innovative news platform focused on social & political change, the economy and tech" (it's currently in beta).

Layoffs, departures, and editorial reshufflings have kept the New York Daily News looking, like many a newspaper, more than slightly bruised over the last few years. Yet the tabloid's website is a force to be reckoned with, having long been a central focus of the paper's business.

For some people, it's worked out fairly well. Daily News owner Mort Zuckerman has what the New York Post still to this day lusts after: a national web destination attached to a distinctly local print product that can hit 10M unique visitors a month. Their crosstown competition at the Post is still playing catch-up, having recently hired former Gawker editor Remy Stern to replace their own recently-departed web editor in addition to pulling The Daily's editor, Jesse Angelo, back into the problem as well.

For others, like former NYDN senior managing editor Stuart Marques, it didn't: He allegedly saw the print product lose quality in the website's chase for pageviews (like, say, painfully clickable 84-page slideshows) and prioritizing over the daily paper. Marques left the paper in October; the next month, sixteen staffers were cut.

Cohen, for his part, oversaw a large period of expansion and plenty of evolution for the News' website while with the tabloid; he became a pretty quotable go-to on the secrets of running a successful news website.

No doubt Daily News editor Colin Myler—who's already having a pretty scandalized week—now has another problem on his hands this week: The search is no doubt on by now.

fkamer@observer.com | @weareyourfek

Sometimes these companies have real revenue, or profit, like Facebook and Groupon. 

But sometimes this enthusiasm is based on how much hype the company has in the press, or how fast it is growing its user base. 

So The Observer decided to take a look at a number of the top web startups and break down how their user base stacks up to their recent  valuations. 

Check Out Which Web Startup Is Worth The Most Per User Here >>

The Editors | tech@observer.com

One example of silicon-flecked culture making its way into the hard-nosed world of trading culture comes from Chicago firm Chopper Trading, where employees get access to office "shuffleboard, pool, Ping-Pong or videogames." Chopper's CEO says the company has "virtually no turnover."

Sounds great, but The Journal also notes that even though trading firms pay more money, some programmers are more interested in name-brand companies like Facebook. With a talent squeeze already underway, firms that want to hire people who can work computers may soon have to install bowling alleys, tennis courts, Jacuzzi tubs and waterslides; it's a seller's market.

mtaylor [at] observer.com | @mbrookstaylor

This thread on the Q&A site Quora sparked a conversation this week about where entrepreneurs and investors like to hang out in the city. Investor Charlie O'Donnell of First Round Capital followed up with a Dinevore map of where to eat to meet VCs.

Turns out New York's startup scene is all about ready coffee, good food and a touch of class.

Here are ten of the most-oft cited restaurants, bars and mudholes where New York's tech scenesters go to kick back.

SLIDESHOW: Ten Spots Where New York's Entrepreneurs and Investors Hang Out >>

ajeffries [at] observer.com | @adrjeffries

But with newspapers in the red and hot startups hogging VC funds, it was only a matter of time before a newer, hipper downtown place came to claim the power lunch crown from Michael's (as Michael's once snatched it from the Royalton's 44). That time probably isn't now, but The Wrap sure thinks it is! They've boldly proclaimed Lure, an underground Soho seafood place, to be the heir to the stuffy Michael's. The argument? The patrons are young and trendy and work at young and trendy startups. And it's even egalitarian! No stuffy old hiearchy of where to sit. Oh, these kids.

And, hey, look at that, Mediaite czar Dan Abrams is a fan as well.  

"You’re going to see more faces you know at Michael's,” Abrams told The Wrap. “But at Lure, you are going to see the people you’ll have to know five years from now.”

Maybe. But Michael's has its own socal network mojo: the restaurant's Twitter feed, @michaelsnewyork, richly applies the restaurant's see-and-be-seen ethos in neat little less-than-140-character bursts. If you tune in at lunch time you'll see the feed reference each notable person who sits down for a beet salad or roasted branzino. While you might see "in the house: barry diller!" or "in the house: tina brown!" we're not sure David Karp would merit a shout-out if he walked in.

 Click for Scandal Report: With Natalie and Mila in Town, New York Goes Swan-Crazy

nfreeman [at] observer.com | @nfreeman1234

Fitango.com offers a catalog of goals broken into day-by-day "Actionplans" and a social network to pressure you to complete them. Fitango is banking on the quirks of human willpower--goals are easier to achieve when broken into small pieces, the theory goes--and users can join a goal-specific forum on Fitango or share their progress on Facebook in order to introduce the motivating element of peer pressure.

Actionplans are written by Fitango staff and "experts" they've recruited and are available in the Planstore. Plans available now for free include the Crossword Puzzle tracker (no set timeline), Six Months to Healthy Weight Loss (authored by a personal trainer, $5.99), Seven Days to a Lower Carbon Diet and 12-week Bridal Boot Camp.

The site will eventually make money as a platform where people can sell their patented fitness methods, language-learning tricks, signature juice fasts, etc.

In order to establish legitimacy, Fitango is playing it straight--"Survive A Zombie Apolcalypse" was removed in advance of the launch.

ajeffries [at] observer.com | @adrjeffries

Fifteen years later, I've upgraded to broadband, kind of wish I still had the AFHV t-shirt, and still like to use the internet for everything possible. The realm of "everything" has expanded well beyond poetry contests, though, to include more grown-up pursuits such as watching cat videos and dating. In fact, I have regaled many a dinner party with my collection of OKCupid horror stories and victories (the victories occur less frequently). But no matter how many times I am forced to listen to a date sing MGMT at karaoke after six shots of vodka (this happened), I'm always open to trying the latest online dating platform, because hey--you never know.

So, when I was recently invited to attend an event a new online dating startup, Meetmoi, was hosting, I jumped. As it turned out, this wasn't your typical startup event: I wasn't expected to select an outfit that exudes professionalism yet joie de vivre, show up at a venue, put on a nametag emblazoned with my Twitter handle, and get to mingling. Instead, I was instructed to turn my phone on, sit back, and wait. 

Unlike other online dating communities, Meetmoi doesn't ask users to filter through potential matches based on their preferences ("You're a Scorpio with an average build who likes but doesn't own amphibians!? ME TOO"). In lieu of active searching, users install an app called MeetmoiNOW on their smartphones. They don't hear a peep until matches that meet their pre-specified guidelines wander into the vicinity. Then, and only then, MeetmoiNOW sends an alert, which arrives in the form of a kitschy heart inscribed with a compass-like arrow in the notification bar. If both users indicate interest by "accepting" the match, a chat functionality is enabled and they can figure out how to meet up right then and there.

The company had cooked up a special promotion, entitled "Drinks on Us," whereby if two participants met up at a predetermined bar suggested by Meetmoi via email, their first round of drinks would be on the house. Free things appeal to me as a general rule, and I was also intrigued by the spontaneous nature of the mission I'd chosen to accept. There's something a little sterile--and perhaps a little reminiscent of junior high--about instant messaging with a potential date. Dropping into a corner cafe at a moment's notice, on the other hand, is downright serendipitous! And it's appealing in the way that a Lifetime Movie Network feature starring Jennie Garth is appealing. A little farfetched, but likely not without entertainment value.

In practice, though, my attempt to land a date NOW proved a bit more difficult than anticipated. The freeform event lasted for a week, Monday through Friday. Monday, I was out of town. On Tuesday evening, back in the city, my phone buzzed--potential matches were within range.

Surprisingly, these men seemed normal, and so, purely as a matter of professional curiosity, I began chatting with them on my way to an industry event (the New York Tech Meetup--sweet irony).

A conversation with one clean cut, criteria-meeting bachelor trailed off. But another, with a soulful-looking guitar player (musical hobbyists, my Achilles heel!) got to the point of discussing location. I was walking past Washington Square Park, hoping we wouldn't have to meet at Josie Woods, when my potential date dropped the bomb that he was all the way over in Midtown East. Close as the crow flies, but not close enough for an immediate drink. I headed into the NYU auditorium to distract myself with my personal favorite geek panacea: tech demos.

When Wednesday evening rolled around, I felt the now familiar vibrating signal that indicates a nearby match. Another viable candidate popped up. But there was no reason to engage--I was already on the way to meet friends for drinks and couldn't take a detour to an impromptu meeting. By Friday, my proverbial battery--not to mention my cell phone's--was exhausted from the missed connections. A match came along, and though he seemed like a gainfully employed, dashing fellow, I couldn't stomach the 10 year-plus age difference, and I declined. 

And just like that, the week, and the offer for free drinks, had passed me by. Still, the application hadn't failed exactly--it had put me in contact with people I actually sort of wanted to meet. But now, in the "matches" tab, there was a graveyard of pictures marked "expired"--the connections I wasn't able to act on in time. I was the one who had failed, hesitating when I should have been prepared to meet someone NOW.

Despite the undeniable efficiency of most online dating sites, I still find myself—and many other single New Yorkers I know—kvetching about the inorganic nature of paging through all those disembodied profiles. But if we weren't so overscheduled to begin with, maybe we'd have time to meet people IRL, if you will. MeetMoiNOW aims to facilitate those in-person meetings, yet it was still so easy to pass each other by. We're booked.

Don't get me wrong--I love OKCupid. But anyone who's ever tried to sift through their matches, listlessly sorting people by language spoken (I prefer dates to speak English, but did you know that C++ is a possible selection too?), knows that having the right person sent directly to you like a mobile gift is an enticing proposition. Yet in order to let spontaneous matching work its magic, I knew I'd have to carve out some more room for spontaneity itself in my life.

Several days after the Drinks on Us event had ended, the telltale heart showed up in my notification bar. This time, I was ready. The suggested match fit the bill--tall, dark, and handsome enough--and I accepted right away. And waited. And waited. Perhaps stuck in the subway, or in a meeting, or just uninterested in a 5'4" Sagittarius with a petite build, my would-be Romeo was taking his time. After an hour, a message showed up below his username: "He didn't respond in time." I accepted the dose of electronic justice and vowed to keep on trying, free drinks or not.

alindow [at] observer.com

@annalindow

Entrepreneurs at Israeli tech startups still depend heavily on the U.S., as "one of the pioneers of the venture industry" told the Wall Street Journal. Israeli entrepreneurs find that they have to come to New York to get access to advertisers.

The pioneer is Alan Patricof, a partner in Greycroft Partners, a New York-based venture capital firm that has invested in The Huffington Post, among other startups:

He, and another partner in Greycroft, Ian Sigalow, said their trip to Israel, where they are meeting with dozens of companies over a few days, will be successful if they find just one potential company to invest in. Israel has "great resources" of human capital, as far as developing technology, Mr. Sigalow said.

The article neglects to address the issue of what to call Israel's startup scene, if it ever establishes itself independently. Silicon Desert is taken. Silicon Zion?

ajeffries [at] observer.com | @adrjeffries

But for now, let's toast to the winners. A more reasonable take can surely wait until we've rung in the new year. Join us in celebrating New York's 10 Most On-Fire Tech Startups. >>