Former Airbnb Employees Launch Local Discovery App Bigfoot

Bigfoot, an innovative AI-powered app created by ex-Airbnb staff, aims to simplify weekend planning by curating local activities and experiences. Utilizing generative AI, user content, and data from over 50 trusted sources, it offers over 120,000 recommendations across 160 cities.

This week, Bigfoot introduced Littlefoot, a messaging platform for personalized event suggestions in any language. Littlefoot uses AI-driven natural language chat to provide rapid recommendations, enhancing the user experience.

Founded by Alex Ward, James Robinson, and Shane Lykins, Bigfoot focuses on local discovery rather than just travel. CEO Alex Ward highlighted the app’s goal to solve the challenge of local experience discovery, making it easier for users to break free from routine and find new activities effortlessly.

Bigfoot integrates multiple large language models to create personalized itineraries, interactive maps, and TikTok videos for each experience. Users can also build and share ‘Collections’ of their favorite activities, with future plans to sync with Spotify and Google Maps for improved recommendations.

Ward emphasized that Bigfoot is the product they aspired to create at Airbnb, focusing on intuitive, seamless user experiences. The app’s advanced data aggregation and ranking systems ensure users receive the best local recommendations without needing extensive manual curation.

The long-term vision for Bigfoot includes driving economic value to local businesses by developing an AI-powered platform for targeted offers and local discounts.