Y Combinator’s Food Delivery App Surges in App Store Rankings with Innovative TikTok Marketing Strategy
In the realm of digital innovation, a distinctive approach to showcasing new ventures has emerged, with individuals delivering presentations via engaging, albeit slightly assertive, videos on social media platforms. This trend was recently exemplified by Lucious McDaniel IV, who utilized this method to introduce BiteSight, a groundbreaking food-delivery application that offers users the ability to view videos of food prior to ordering and to peruse the selections of their peers, among other features.
McDaniel’s video presentation, met with an immediate surge in virality, garnering almost 4 million likes on TikTok and a quarter of a million on Instagram. This digital marketing strategy has become increasingly popular among young entrepreneurs aiming to secure traction and investment opportunities.
The concept for BiteSight was conceived as McDaniel found himself grappling with an over-reliance on takeout food, often settling for the same familiar establishments due to the monotonous offerings of traditional delivery applications. “I’d hit a wall of identical-looking restaurants with stock photos, and somehow every place had 4.6 stars,” McDaniel explained. In an effort to overcome this predicament, he began maintaining a spreadsheet of unique restaurants discovered through social media platforms, tracking authentic reviews and soliciting opinions from friends.
Recognizing that others shared similar experiences, McDaniel collaborated with Zac Schulwolf, the company’s CTO, to develop a more effective solution: an application that accurately reflects contemporary methods of food discovery.
Prior to founding BiteSight, McDaniel honed his expertise in the tech industry, working at General Atlantic and founding a payments company called Phly, as well as leading product development for recruitment software. He has also invested in various enterprises, including fintech firm Mercury.
McDaniel and Schulwolf spent over a year crafting BiteSight, participating in Y Combinator’s Winter 2024 cohort and conducting a limited beta around New York University in April. The company launched an early version in mid-May, followed by a period of social media marketing, culminating in the creation of the viral video in June.
“What made our video stand out was that what we are building resonates,” said McDaniel, who serves as BiteSight’s CEO, or chief eating officer. He elaborated that “it’s clear that consumers, and especially Gen Z, are ready for something that feels fresh and built for the way they engage.”
The video propelled BiteSight to the No. 2 spot in the App Store’s Food and Beverage category, surpassing industry titans such as Uber Eats, Starbucks, and McDonald’s. The application also attracted more than 100,000 new users, with individuals from various cities expressing interest in a nationwide release.
On the restaurant front, McDaniel reported that both small family-owned establishments and chain restaurants have expressed interest in partnering with BiteSight, along with a surge of investor attention from individuals who recognize the potential for future growth in food delivery.
Though BiteSight faces formidable competition from established players like DoorDash and Uber Eats, McDaniel is confident that its emphasis on artificial intelligence will grant it an edge. By leveraging AI to reduce overhead costs, BiteSight aims to offer superior value to small business owners and customers while maintaining healthy profit margins.
What distinguishes BiteSight from competitors is its focus on food and video, rather than other categories at present. “We’re trying to be the go-to app for the generation that discovers everything through social recommendations and short-form video.”
