You already have a circle of people you like hanging out with, who share interests with you and know what you’re about. Whether it’s a friend who’s a woman or friends who introduce you to a woman, friendship can be a great way to meet women.

Pros: Your friends already know something about you, so a woman they set you up with isn’t likely to be a complete miss. Since she knows your friends too, you have something to talk about while you get to know each other better. And you’re both motivated to be polite to each other even if you break up eventually.

Cons: If you’ve met before, you might have already lost the opportunity for a good first impression. Pressure from your friends might influence your dating more than it should. Another person in your group of friends might be jealous of either one of you.

A bad breakup can ruin a good friendship and make it awkward for the group to get together later. And, if you already know everything about each other, there’s not much room for excitement in your relationship.

The women you’ll meet: Women you already know or who know someone you know. You can find out more about them by asking other people who know them.

The relationship you can expect: Between casual and serious – you’ll definitely have to say up front whether you expect to date other people or not. If you just assume that you’re both going to date other people, while she assumes that it’s better manners to be in an exclusive relationship with a former friend, you’re going to be in trouble.

You’ll have something in common with each other, whether it’s your sense of humor or your favorite kind of movie. It might be easy to get into a rut, so you’ll have to think of ways to keep your relationship fresh and fun for you both.

What to avoid: Taking her for granted, forgetting that she deserves special treatment as your girlfriend, and talking about the details of your relationship with the other women in your group of friends are just a few things you need to avoid. If you have to break up, be gentle and polite about it so that even if she isn’t your friend anymore, your other friends will still be there.

The bottom line: Stay civilized in all situations and it could be worth it. You lose the feeling of meeting a complete stranger and building a relationship, but you gain a better chance of keeping a great girlfriend for a long time.