Today we’d like to introduce you to Malcolm Bates.
Hi Malcolm, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story with YourNightOut began with a simple question: Why, in a world where technology can personalize almost everything, are people still expected to spend hours searching for the perfect experience?
For more than 20 years, my career has focused on leading transformation, strategy, and experience initiatives for Fortune 500 organizations. I’ve spent my career understanding people, solving complex problems, and designing systems that create better experiences. That same mindset inspired me to tackle a challenge millions of people face every day discovering the right way to experience a city.
The issue isn’t that there aren’t enough things to do. Every city is filled with incredible restaurants, coffee shops, festivals, concerts, sporting events, museums, nightlife, shopping, outdoor activities, and hidden gems. The problem is that the information is scattered, constantly changing, and often lacks context. People end up bouncing between Google, Instagram, TikTok, event sites, review platforms, and venue websites trying to piece together the perfect plan.
That’s why I created YourNightOut.
Despite the name, we’re not just a nightlife platform. We’re building an intelligent city discovery platform that helps people experience a destination on every level from food and entertainment to culture, travel, family activities, sports, and local experiences.
What truly separates us is our philosophy.
Most platforms whether it’s Instagram, Eventbrite, Posh, or another marketplace expect users to do all the work. You search, scroll, compare, filter, and hope you find something you’ll enjoy.
We took the opposite approach.
We didn’t engineer people to search for experiences. We engineered experiences to find the right people.
Our platform combines the speed and intelligence of AI with something technology alone can’t replace: human validation. AI helps analyze preferences, identify opportunities, organize information, and personalize recommendations, but we also rely on real people who know their cities to validate experiences, verify quality, provide local insight, and ensure recommendations remain authentic and trustworthy.
We believe the best recommendations come from the partnership between artificial intelligence and human intelligence not one replacing the other. AI provides scale, personalization, and efficiency, while people provide context, authenticity, and credibility.
As founder, I’ve led the vision, product strategy, partnerships, branding, and business development behind the platform. Every decision is guided by one mission: to remove the friction from discovering great experiences and replace it with intelligent, trusted recommendations that help people spend less time planning and more time making memories.
My long-term vision is for YourNightOut to become the world’s most trusted experience discovery platform. Not because it has the most listings, but because people know every recommendation has been intelligently matched to them and supported by both advanced technology and real human insight.
The future of discovery isn’t AI alone. It’s AI empowered by people who understand what makes an experience truly unforgettable.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not at all. Like most startups, the journey has been filled with pivots, setbacks, and constant learning.
One of our biggest challenges has been building something that doesn’t fit neatly into an existing category. We’re not another event listing platform, review site, or social media app. We’re creating a new way for people to discover and experience cities through a combination of AI, human insight, and personalization. Explaining that vision to investors, partners, and even potential users has taken time because people naturally compare us to platforms they already know.
Another challenge has been balancing ambition with resources. As a founder, I’ve had to wear multiple hats product strategist, business developer, marketer, partnership lead, and operations manager. Every decision has required prioritization, especially when you’re building with limited resources but pursuing a vision that can scale nationally and eventually globally.
We’ve also learned that technology alone isn’t enough. Early on, it became clear that AI could organize information and personalize recommendations, but it couldn’t fully replace local knowledge, context, or authenticity. That realization strengthened our vision instead of changing it. We doubled down on combining AI with real people who validate experiences and provide the local insight that makes recommendations more trustworthy.
Like many founders, there have been moments of uncertainty and obstacles that tested my commitment. Building a company means hearing “no” more often than “yes,” adapting when things don’t go as planned, and continuing to move forward without having all the answers. Those experiences have made both me and the company more resilient.
What has kept me going is the belief that we’re solving a real problem. People don’t need more information—they need better guidance. Cities don’t need another directory they need a smarter way to connect great experiences with the right people.
Every challenge has reinforced our mission and refined our product. Looking back, I wouldn’t describe the road as smooth, but I would describe it as purposeful. Each obstacle has helped shape YourNightOut into a platform with a clearer vision, a stronger value proposition, and a deeper understanding of the problem we’re here to solve.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
At my core, I’m a **business strategist, corporate strategist, entrepreneur, and experience architect**. Throughout my career, I’ve specialized in helping organizations and startups solve complex business challenges by aligning strategy, technology, innovation, and people. Whether leading enterprise transformation for Fortune 500 companies or building YourNightOut from the ground up, my passion has always been the same: creating solutions that produce meaningful business and customer outcomes.
Today, as the founder of **YourNightOut**, I lead the company’s vision, corporate strategy, product strategy, AI innovation, partnerships, branding, business development, and long-term growth. My role isn’t simply to build a product it’s to build a company capable of transforming how people discover and experience cities.
What I specialize in is identifying gaps in the market and designing scalable solutions that solve them. Throughout my career, I’ve been known for connecting strategy with execution, turning complex ideas into practical business solutions, and creating systems that improve both organizational performance and customer experience.
With YourNightOut, we’re applying those same principles to the consumer market.
Our vision extends far beyond nightlife. We’re building an intelligent city discovery platform that helps people experience a city through food, entertainment, culture, travel, sports, shopping, local attractions, and hidden gems.
What separates us is our philosophy.
Most platforms whether it’s Instagram, Eventbrite, Posh, or traditional event marketplaces—require people to search, scroll, compare, and filter through endless information.
**We chose to reverse that model.**
**We engineered experiences to find the right people.**
Using a combination of artificial intelligence and human validation, our platform understands each user’s preferences, interests, budget, location, and social style to deliver highly personalized recommendations. AI provides intelligence, scale, and personalization, while real people validate experiences, contribute local expertise, and ensure authenticity. We believe the future of discovery is built on the partnership between technology and human insight.
What I’m most proud of is creating a company that isn’t trying to improve an existing category we’re creating a new one. We’re building an intelligent experience ecosystem that connects people with experiences in a way that is personalized, trusted, and scalable.
I also take pride in bringing together disciplines that rarely exist in one leader. My background spans corporate strategy, business transformation, organizational effectiveness, customer and employee experience, behavioral insights, AI innovation, executive leadership, and entrepreneurship. That combination allows me to see opportunities others often miss and develop solutions that create value for both businesses and consumers.
Ultimately, what sets me apart is that I don’t think like only a founder, a strategist, or a technologist I think like all three. I look at problems through the lens of business strategy, human behavior, operational execution, and long-term scalability. That perspective has shaped both my career and the vision behind YourNightOut.
At the end of the day, success isn’t measured by how many venues are on our platform. Success is measured by whether we helped someone discover an experience they otherwise would have missed, helped a local business connect with the right customer, and changed the way people experience cities.
**I’m not just building a platform. I’m building the future of intelligent city discovery.**
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is building a life surrounded by **authentic relationships, continuous growth, purpose, family, and peace of mind.** I’ve come to believe that success isn’t defined solely by career achievements or financial success it’s defined by the people you share life with, the impact you have on others, and the fulfillment you experience along the way.
**Loyalty and authenticity** are at the center of everything I value. I appreciate relationships built on honesty, trust, mutual respect, and consistency. Whether in business or my personal life, I believe the strongest relationships are those where people can be themselves, communicate openly, support one another, and remain dependable through both challenges and successes. I’d rather have a few genuine relationships than countless superficial ones.
I’m also intentional about surrounding myself with **great people** people who are kind, driven, humble, emotionally intelligent, and committed to growing both personally and professionally. I believe the people around us influence how we think, how we lead, and who we become. I enjoy being around individuals who challenge me to think differently, celebrate the success of others, and genuinely want to see everyone around them win.
A **learning environment** is something I actively seek. I’m naturally curious and believe growth should never stop. Whether it’s learning about business strategy, leadership, technology, artificial intelligence, psychology, or simply gaining a new perspective from someone else’s experiences, I enjoy environments where ideas are shared, questions are encouraged, and innovation is welcomed. I believe the best leaders remain lifelong learners.
**Family** is my anchor. They remind me what truly matters beyond work and provide the encouragement, perspective, and motivation that keeps me grounded. At the end of the day, accomplishments are far more meaningful when they’re shared with the people you love.
Equally important is my **peace of mind**. I’ve learned to value environments and relationships that bring clarity, positivity, and balance instead of unnecessary drama or negativity. Protecting my peace allows me to think more clearly, make better decisions, lead with confidence, and be fully present for the people and opportunities that matter most.
Ultimately, I want to build a life where success is measured not just by what I accomplish, but by the relationships I cultivate, the people I help, the lessons I continue to learn, and the positive impact I leave behind. Those are the things that give my work and my life lasting meaning.
Pricing:
- Plus $4.99/month Unlimited personalized recommendations, itinerary builder, saved trips, exclusive city content.
- Premium $10.99/month Everything in Plus, advanced AI concierge, premium itineraries, VIP recommendations, exclusive experiences, priority features.
- Free Trial 3 days Full access to premium features before subscribing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Yournightout.com
- Instagram: yournightout__
- Facebook: Yournightout
