Official Bite to Meet Blog

What is Bite to Meet?

At Bite to Meet, we enjoy delicious meals and interesting conversations. Combining these two is our passion, and also the philosophy behind our startup. Stemming from Startup Weekend Detroit, our team plans to help bridge the gap between in-person and online networking. Our team members “Never Eat Alone”, because sharing a meal with someone is the perfect opportunity to connect and expand professional and social circles.  Building on the concepts of Keith Ferrazzi’s groundbreaking book “Never Eat Alone”, we connect professionals over a meal, allowing them to expand their professional network while enjoying great food.

Is Bite to Meet a ‘lean’ startup?

We are definitely running as a lean startup. Currently, we are in the process of gathering early adopters for our first product launch. These early members of our community will be key figures in helping us guide our company to success. By catering our product to the needs of our early community, we plan to iterate often enough to implement the needs of our community. As an early adopter, you will be the focus of our company’s development. We will build the product that you want. If you’re interested in becoming an early adopter, please show your interest on our website at www.bitetomeet.com.

Is Bite to Meet a ‘funded’ startup?

As a bootstrapped startup, we are currently funding Bite to Meet’s needs as a team. Funding, of course, could be used to help support product development and marketing operations. And, of course, we would like to hook our early adopters up with some Bite to Meet shirts, on the house. To help push this along, we are current participants in the AppSumo Lean Startup Challenge, with hopes to take home the crown. 

How has Bite to Meet used the AppSumo Lean Startup Bundle?

Building our product up through the use of AppSumo’s Lean Startup Bundle, we have implemented various APIs that help aid in the development of our product. This includes the integration of twilio and infochimps. Also, our agile development process is aided by the use of Pivotal Tracker, a great implementation of a project mangement tool. We can’t thank AppSumo enough for releasing this package, as it made the buildup of our company possible!

How viable is Bite to Meet?

The needs our product is meeting are rather basic, but surprisingly unfulfilled. We deliver a platform for connecting like-minded individuals who haven’t met yet - a professional matchmaking and a way to turn connections into long lasting relationships. Have you ever gone to lunch with a like-minded stranger because you both share a passion for Medieval history? Now you can. Not convinced? Keep reading!

The business opportunity Bite to Meet is creating is hot and trendy - location based services. What can be better for a local restaurant than getting a set of new customers? Bite to Meet will bring at least two guests to visit a venue for a meal. Deals that the establishment provide will be effective promotional tools as potential customers use our local venue search.  Fast-paced, dynamic and exciting - customers are there and waiting to be impressed. 

Is Bite to Meet a group of shameless self-promoters?

Actually, we are a group of individuals who enjoy networking. We want to make meeting great people easier. Our product will suit both super-busy-always-travelling professionals who don’t have much time for expanding their professional network and those with a relaxed schedule. From newbie to professional networker, we have you covered. No more lunch at the desk, being stuck in a hotel room, or not knowing anyone in town to meet up with. We are building a platform for the next level of networking - local people search and face-to-face communication. Is it a technological or social revolution? Probably both.

Also, don’t forget about happiness - our team is on a mission to add excitement to routine, inspiration to work and happiness to life. So what are you waiting for? Sign up to be an early adopter today! You can also follow us on Twitter for updates!