Back in 2009, Urban Daddy released a brilliant app for the
iPhone. The free service is available in 12 cities throughout the United
States. Users input into the app where they are, who they are with, and what
they are looking to do at a certain time of the day – the app then generates a
list of suggested places they should go with funny, accurate accompanying
blurbs on the suggested locations. Urban Daddy first pitched the app as a way
to help style-conscious city-goers stay “in the know.”
The app’s design is brilliant. There are funny options to
input for “who you are with” and “what you are looking for.” Further, the
restaurant, bar, and entertainment suggestions that the app makes are highly
curated. It is a version of Yelp but with good taste and a sense of humor.
Esquire.com, in 2010, reviewed the app saying “It’ll find you the
closest, coolest bar for your friends to meet you. At that time. With
the best scotch. And a backyard. And a beautiful woman in that backyard. And
where to take her next. Even if she’s a vegan who only drinks expensive wine.” However, the app was never a huge success.
This is surprising to me because I think the app has much better suggestions
and much better design than an app like yelp. I believe that the app’s
marketing was much to blame for its failure.
