(Untitled)

When Lucious McDaniel IV's sister, Kendall, playfully introduced his startup on TikTok, neither expected the immediate explosion of attention that would follow. Within just 15 minutes, their video introducing BiteSight—a food delivery platform that lets users watch engaging food videos before ordering—had soared to over 20,000 views. The app taps into how Gen Z and younger millennials discover food today: through short-form content and trusted recommendations from friends.

The Viral Path to Growth

BiteSight began as an answer to a common frustration among young diners: endlessly scrolling through nearly identical food delivery listings filled with generic photos and unhelpful reviews. McDaniel, together with CTO Zac Schulwolf, realized that social media was already influencing where people ate. Users were collecting restaurant recommendations from Instagram and TikTok, so why not build an app that natively harnessed these channels?

The duo, both under 25, spent over a year developing BiteSight, fine-tuning the product during their experience in Y Combinator’s Winter 2024 batch. After a limited launch around New York University and some early marketing, a creative TikTok post propelled the app into the viral stratosphere, overwhelming the team as they scrambled to maintain uptime during the surge.

Authenticity Wins Audiences

What set BiteSight's TikTok campaign apart was its transparent look behind the scenes: as their servers strained under the growing user base, McDaniel turned the chaos into content. This authentic glimpse at startup challenges resonated, attracting millions of likes on TikTok and hundreds of thousands more on Instagram—proof that the narrative of entrepreneurial hustle still drives engagement.

The impact was immediate. BiteSight climbed to the No. 2 spot in the App Store’s Food & Beverage category—outranking giants like Uber Eats and Starbucks—while onboarding over 100,000 new users in New York alone. Their inbox filled with partnership requests from both family-run eateries and larger chains, as well as messages from enthusiastic users hoping for launches in other cities.

Deep Founder Analysis

Why it matters

This story exemplifies how modern startups are winning customer attention—not through massive ad buys, but through viral, user-driven content. For founders and operators, it signals a shift towards authenticity, relatability, and leveraging the organic reach of social channels over traditional marketing. The integration of video, recommendation loops, and social-first app design is set to become a key differentiator for consumer-facing platforms.

Risks & opportunities

The dependence on viral trends creates unpredictability. If TikTok or Instagram change their algorithms or restrict reach, growth could stall. However, the rapid user acquisition and direct feedback provided by social platforms present unique low-cost growth opportunities, especially for startups with limited budgets. The ability to respond in real-time to viral moments—by turning friction into content—can also build deeper trust with users, as seen with BiteSight’s open communication during their technical hiccups.

Startup idea or application

BiteSight’s model opens the door for vertical-specific discovery platforms built on short-form video and peer recommendations—think apps for fashion, travel, or experiences that replicate the same blend of curated content and social proof. An actionable idea: A platform for small local businesses to create TikTok-native video menus, paired with direct ordering or booking, allowing even the smallest players to leverage social virality for customer acquisition.

Building for Scale With AI-Era Tools

BiteSight’s team believes their AI-first approach gives them an advantage over legacy competitors. While giants like DoorDash required large technical teams early on, BiteSight leverages AI tools to handle engineering, support, and growth tasks with a lean staff—passing cost savings to both restaurants and users. This model, McDaniel claims, allows the startup to scale quickly while maintaining healthy margins.

By focusing exclusively on food discovery through video (rather than expanding to unrelated delivery verticals), BiteSight aims to become the go-to platform for younger users who value immersive recommendations above all else.

Food Delivery Startup Growth TikTok Marketing Gen Z

For further insight on using video platforms for growth, see our analysis of how TikTok empowers creators and the latest AI-driven startup models.

Visit Deep Founder to learn how to start your own startup, validate your idea, and build it from scratch.

📚 Read more articles in our Deep Founder blog.