How a YC Food-Delivery App Went Viral on TikTok & Skyrocketed
▼ Summary
– A viral TikTok trend features a family member introducing a pitch in an aggressive tone, which Lucious McDaniel IV used to promote his food-delivery app BiteSight.
– BiteSight lets users watch food videos before ordering, see friends’ orders, and bookmark restaurants, catering to Gen Z’s preference for social recommendations and short-form videos.
– The app gained rapid traction after McDaniel’s video went viral, reaching 20,000 views in 15 minutes and briefly ranking No. 2 in the App Store’s Food and Beverage category.
– McDaniel leveraged AI tools to reduce overhead costs, allowing BiteSight to compete with larger delivery apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats while focusing on video-based discovery.
– The app’s success attracted over 100,000 new users and investor interest, with plans to expand beyond its current New York availability.
A food-delivery app skyrocketed to viral fame after a clever TikTok strategy tapped into how Gen Z discovers restaurants. The platform, BiteSight, lets users watch videos of meals before ordering and see what friends are eating, features that resonated instantly when co-founder Lucious McDaniel IV pitched it in a trending social media format.
McDaniel’s sister kicked off the now-famous clip by staring into the camera with mock intensity, warning viewers to pay attention. When she stepped aside, her brother introduced BiteSight’s unique approach: replacing generic food photos with video previews and social proof. The video exploded, hitting 20,000 views in just 15 minutes. Traffic surged so fast that the app temporarily struggled under the load, but the team turned the chaos into more content, posting real-time updates that further fueled engagement.
The original TikTok has since racked up nearly 4 million likes, propelling BiteSight to the #2 spot in Apple’s Food & Drink category, ahead of giants like Uber Eats and Starbucks. The app gained over 100,000 new users almost overnight, despite currently operating only in New York. Demand spilled into McDaniel’s inbox, with requests to expand nationwide and partnerships pouring in from local eateries to major chains.
McDaniel, a 24-year-old with experience in restaurant tech and startups, built BiteSight to solve a personal frustration. “I kept ordering from the same three places because delivery apps made discovery impossible,” he said. “Every restaurant had the same stock photos and suspiciously identical ratings.” His solution was an app that mirrors how younger consumers actually find food, through short videos and peer recommendations, not static menus.
Alongside CTO Zac Schulwolf, McDaniel refined the concept during Y Combinator’s Winter 2024 batch. They leveraged AI to keep costs low, avoiding the bloated engineering teams typical of early-stage delivery platforms. “AI handles tasks that would’ve required 10x the manpower,” McDaniel explained. “That lets us focus savings on customers and small businesses.”
While competitors like DoorDash dominate with scale, BiteSight bets on differentiation. Its video-first design and social features cater to a generation that trusts TikTok over traditional reviews. Investors have taken notice, though McDaniel stayed tight-lipped about funding specifics.
For now, the team is capitalizing on the momentum. “People responded because we’re building something that feels authentic,” McDaniel said. “Gen Z doesn’t want another copycat, they want tools that match how they live.” With plans to expand beyond New York, BiteSight aims to become the default for diners who discover meals the same way they find music or fashion: through clips and friends, not faceless algorithms.
(Source: TechCrunch)
