According to a study, the best strategy for struggling male chimpanzees looking to mate was to befriend high ranking alpha males as well as to form large networks with other males. Notice how they didn't need to befriend female chimps. In my opinion, we should give this advice to struggling men.

REPLY TO AUTOMOD IF YOU AGREE

Currently, this is what many people tell struggling men:

"Join a women-dominated hobby/club! Make friends with all the women in there, but don't expect to get romance out of it."

In my opinion, we should tell struggling men looking for a relationship to instead:

1. Befriend chads and other high status men adored by women
2. Become friends with as many men as you can.

None of this "befriend women" BS that's often given by so many people (more on that later). Remember, we share 99% of our DNA with monkeys. So what am I basing my opinion on?

According to a study, struggling male chimps who befriended the highest ranking monkey had more sex. The same applied to struggling male chimps who befriended many male chimps in general:

"Subordinate male chimps that formed strong bonds with the alpha male had higher siring success, while, independently, males with larger networks of strong bonds also had higher siring success. The social bonds formed between males provided access to mating opportunities that they would not have been able to access without allies."

But hold on! It's just not that... According to another study, male chimps who showed affliate behaviour towards female chimps by grooming them more frequently, giving them more support and sharing more food with them, did NOT sire more often than male chimps who didn't!

Relevant citation:

"It has been repeatedly suggested that primates trade social services for fitness benefits in their relationships with the opposite sex. We tested this proposal in a colony of captive chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes, by examining behavioural data on grooming, agonistic support and food sharing in relation to genetically established paternity***. We found no support for the notion of trade.***

First, males did not sire more offspring with females that they actively groomed more frequently, that they supported more often or with which they shared food more frequently*. Correspondingly, females did not give birth to more offspring sired by males from which they received more services. Second,* males that showed more affiliative behaviour towards females in general did not sire more progeny. Furthermore, females did not bear more offspring sired by males to which they themselves directed more sociopositive behaviour. Results from this captive colony are compatible with those reported for chimpanzees under natural conditions."

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S000334729991254X

So in conclusion: Befriending women likely isn't going to work. Forming many strong bonds with men in general, as well as specifically befriending chads and other high ranking man, is likely the best way for struggling men finding a relationship.