App DuJour was conceived by a first-generation West Indian-American who wanted to create an app that consolidated local dishes by location and food preferences, filling a gap in the market for small businesses to connect with new and existing customers. The founder, who had no prior coding experience, discovered Bubble, a no-code tool, which allowed her to build a functional app alongside her team of developers. After researching the space, she found that current platforms were not efficient or cost-effective for small businesses to reach their target audience. The app aims to serve two sides - local restaurants and customers who have mutual interests but different needs. To succeed, the founder emphasizes becoming intimate with the problem, testing assumptions, asking questions, and doing more observing and listening than talking. She also stresses the importance of understanding the human variable in solving problems and gaining buy-in from users. The app is part of a vibrant startup community in Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, which offers various resources and support for local entrepreneurs. Looking to the future, there are trends such as rising food and operational costs, seasonal and local agricultural food, mission-based establishments, celebrity chef culture, and concerns about content integrity and security on social media platforms.