The AI Podcast – Episode Summary

Title: Why DoorDash Thinks AI Social Apps Drive Engagement
Date: December 17, 2025
Host: The AI Podcast
Main Theme:
This episode explores DoorDash’s launch of "Zesty," a new AI-driven social app focused on restaurant discovery and engagement. The host offers analysis on how DoorDash leverages artificial intelligence and social features to differentiate itself in a competitive space, while also speculating on strategic implications for their business and the broader food tech industry.

Episode Overview

The focus of this episode is on DoorDash’s innovative move beyond food delivery with the introduction of "Zesty," an AI-powered app that helps users discover new restaurants through personalized recommendations and social sharing. The host discusses the app's features, underlying AI technology, data sources, and DoorDash’s potential monetization strategies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Zesty: DoorDash's AI Social App

• Launch Details:
  • Zesty was recently rolled out, targeting San Francisco and New York as pilot markets.
  • Geolocated functionality for hyper-local recommendations.
• Host’s Initial Take:
  • "To be honest, this is actually a concept that I absolutely love." (03:41)
  • Emphasizes how AI code models make building such apps much faster and easier.

2. Features and User Experience

• Personalized Recommendations:
  • Users sign in with DoorDash accounts and interact with a chatbot for tailored restaurant suggestions.
  • Example request: "A low key dinner in Williamsburg that’s actually good for introverts." (04:50)
  • App scrapes and synthesizes data from multiple sources to create these experiences.
• Social Layer:
  • Users can save, share, and comment on restaurant recommendations.
  • Possibility to follow users with similar tastes, building a community aspect.

3. Data Aggregation and AI Integration

• Data Sources:
  • DoorDash pulls information from its own data, Google Maps, TikTok, and general web scraping.
• Host Commentary:
  • "TikTok is like a really reputable source for getting interesting information. Google Maps, DoorDash. And then they said that they quote, 'curate the best suggestions from the web.''" (06:22)
• Personalization:
  • The app learns user preferences over time to provide more accurate results.

4. Comparison with Existing Platforms

• Standing Out from the Crowd:
  • The host questions whether users will adopt Zesty over existing platforms like Instagram or local food blogs.
  • Argues that Zesty’s unique value is in combining social sharing with deep, AI-driven discoverability.
  • "I don't think they can make a standalone social app, but because there's so much to do with discoverability, I do think that is a big value add." (07:40)

5. Strategic Business Implications for DoorDash

• Expansion Pathways:
  • DoorDash seeks to diversify beyond delivery services.
  • Nicknamed this as moving into "the social and discovery space." (05:15)
• Monetization Outlook:
  • Predicts that in-app advertising and paid recommendations will likely be introduced as major revenue streams, similar to Instacart and Uber.
  • "The ads business, I would say do not underestimate that." (13:30)
  • Discusses the potential for DoorDash to build a significant advertising platform without creating a completely new business line.

6. User Pain Points & Value Proposition

• Pain of Restaurant Discovery:
  • The host talks about the frustration of jumping between platforms when trying to find the right place to eat.
  • Emphasizes the value of natural language queries to narrow down options without cross-referencing multiple apps.
  • “Anything that can speed up my search phase where I can ask exactly what I want and I don’t have to go to all the different places to try to find the perfect restaurant… I do think there will be a use case for that.” (11:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• AI’s Role in Product Prototyping:
  "I 100% guarantee they used AI models, AI code models to help them spin out a really quick sample of this idea…" (03:10)
• On AI-Driven Recommendations:
  "…if it’s scraping through all the reviews on Google and on TikTok to get responses, like, if it’s going and getting this from a unique data source, I love that." (10:20)
• On Competing in the Social Discovery Space:
  "Can they stand out against something like Instagram or maybe you would just go follow like a food page in your city where someone would do this exact same thing? … I do think that is a big value add." (07:20)
• On DoorDash’s Broader Vision:
  "Earlier this year they launched a feature that let customers make reservations for in person dining… I do think this is smart. DoorDash is very well known for what it does, but I think there’s a lot more room to grow." (12:35)
• On In-App Ads as Revenue Engine:
  "Instacart has a massive portion of their revenue now that is generated from putting ads inside of their app…Uber makes a ton of money from in app ads." (13:10)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:10] — AI’s Role in App Development
• [04:50] — Example Queries & Social Functionality
• [06:22] — Data Sources and Personalization
• [07:20] — Competing with Social Platforms
• [10:20] — The Value of AI-Driven Aggregation
• [11:05] — The Value Proposition for Users
• [12:35] — DoorDash’s Broader Business Moves
• [13:10] — Monetization and In-App Ads Discussion

Conclusion

The episode provides a thorough analysis of how DoorDash’s Zesty app leverages AI to transform restaurant discovery, with a focus on data sources, personalization, and social features. The host believes this move is a significant step beyond food delivery, introducing new monetization opportunities and broader engagement in the food tech arena.

This summary captures the episode’s core discussions while maintaining the dynamic, insightful tone of the original conversation.