Y Combinator Food Delivery App TikTok Success Story

A Viral Trend Fuels the Rise of BiteSight

A current internet phenomenon involves individuals addressing the camera with a firm tone, announcing an upcoming presentation and requesting positive reception from viewers.

Kendall, sister to Lucious McDaniel IV, employed this tactic before her brother presented BiteSight, a novel food-delivery application. This app uniquely allows users to preview food via video before placing an order.

Furthermore, BiteSight enables customers to view friends’ orders and save restaurants for future exploration. The application capitalizes on the way younger demographics interact with content – primarily through concise videos and peer recommendations.

Rapid Growth and Unexpected Challenges

McDaniel shared the promotional video and resumed his work. Within fifteen minutes, his sister informed him of the post’s burgeoning virality. “We reached 20,000 views in just 15 minutes,” McDaniel revealed to TechCrunch.

Initial excitement quickly transitioned into operational difficulties as “sections of our app began malfunctioning under the increased user load.”

The engineering team worked tirelessly to maintain BiteSight’s functionality. Simultaneously, McDaniel documented the ensuing chaos on TikTok, which itself became a viral sensation.

He noted that viewers appreciated the “authenticity” of witnessing the challenges that arise when “an app experiences explosive growth overnight.”

TikTok and Instagram Fuel Entrepreneurial Traction

The video showcasing McDaniel’s concept has garnered nearly 4 million likes on TikTok and a quarter of a million on Instagram, aligning with a trend of young entrepreneurs leveraging these platforms for visibility and investment opportunities.

McDaniel explained to TechCrunch that the video’s creation was inspired by a friend’s successful use of the same trend to promote his dating application. “His video exceeded a million views, prompting him to suggest I try it for BiteSight.”

Addressing a Gap in the Food Delivery Market

McDaniel, age 24, observed a common issue among his peers: excessive reliance on takeout from a limited selection of restaurants due to difficulties discovering new options on existing delivery apps.

“I encountered a repetitive cycle of similar-looking restaurants with stock photos, and remarkably, each establishment consistently held a 4.6-star rating.”

He began compiling a spreadsheet of restaurants discovered through Instagram and TikTok, meticulously tracking genuine reviews and gathering feedback from friends. “Recognizing that others were employing the same method, my co-founder Zac and I resolved to develop a superior solution – an app that accurately reflects contemporary food discovery practices,” he stated, referring to Zac Schulwolf, the company’s CTO.

Experience and Development

McDaniel possesses prior experience in the technology sector. He previously held a position at General Atlantic, focusing on restaurant technology. He also founded a payments company, Phly, led product development for recruitment software, and has made angel investments in companies like Mercury.

McDaniel and Schulwolf, 25, dedicated over a year to building BiteSight, including participation in Y Combinator’s Winter 2024 program. They conducted a limited beta test around New York University in April.

In mid-May, the company launched an initial version and initiated some social media marketing. Their viral video was released in June.

Resonance and Rapid App Store Ranking

“The success of our video stemmed from the inherent appeal of our concept,” McDaniel, also known as BiteSight’s chief eating officer, explained. He added, “It’s evident that consumers, particularly Gen Z, are seeking a fresh experience tailored to their preferred engagement methods.”

Following the video’s release, BiteSight briefly ascended to the No. 2 position in the App Store’s Food and Beverage category, surpassing established players like Uber Eats, Starbucks, and McDonald’s.

User Growth and Expansion Plans

The app experienced an influx of over 100,000 new users. While currently available only in New York, the company received numerous requests for a nationwide rollout.

On the restaurant side, McDaniel reported inquiries from a diverse range of establishments, from small, family-owned businesses to large chains, all eager to collaborate. He also noted “a significant increase in investor interest from those recognizing the future direction of food delivery.”

He refrained from disclosing details regarding potential funding rounds, stating only that announcements are forthcoming.

Leveraging AI for Competitive Advantage

Despite facing competition from established giants like DoorDash and Uber Eats, McDaniel believes BiteSight’s status as a startup in the age of artificial intelligence will provide a strategic advantage.

He explained that while competitors required substantial engineering teams in their early stages, BiteSight can utilize AI tools to achieve tenfold the output of human labor at a significantly lower cost.

“By harnessing AI to minimize overhead and infrastructure expenses, we can deliver greater value to small business owners and customers while maintaining healthy profit margins,” he said.

A Focused Approach to Food and Video

BiteSight’s differentiation also lies in its exclusive focus on food and video content, rather than diversifying into other categories at this time.

“Our aim is to become the preferred app for a generation that discovers everything through social recommendations and short-form video.”