Seeking co-founders for my company

Scott Mikal
7 replies
Hey everyone! I hope you're all doing well! I wanted to take a moment to share an exciting business idea that I've been thinking about, and I'd love to get your input, feedback, and advice. I’m at the very early stages of this project, and I'm really excited about the possibilities, but I also want to ensure I’m on the right track. Plus, if any of you are interested in joining me on this journey, I would absolutely love to collaborate with you! The core idea is to create a free searchable database that will allow users—dog owners and lovers alike—to search for the perfect dog food, treats, or toys for their furry friends based on specific requirements. We all know that no two dogs are alike; what works for one might not work for another. Whether it’s breed-specific needs, age, allergies, health conditions, or even just personal preferences, I personally and I think that other pet owners are often overwhelmed by the amount of choice on the market. My goal is to simplify that process by creating a platform that gives tailored recommendations based on the unique needs of each dog. The platform will be built around a very user-friendly interface, allowing pet owners to input details like: Breed (since some breeds have unique dietary or play needs), Age (puppies, adults, and senior dogs all have different requirements), Size (small, medium, and large breeds), Health conditions (like food allergies, joint issues, or dental care), Dietary preferences (grain-free, organic, raw, etc.), Activity levels (toys that are more suitable for highly active dogs vs. those who prefer a quieter life), And other personalized criteria. With these inputs, the platform will then generate suggestions for food, treats, and toys that match the dog’s profile, making the decision-making process as easy and stress-free as possible. My hope is that this will not only help dog owners find the best products for their pets but also give them the peace of mind that they're making informed, healthy choices. Building the Platform: The project will be built using the Flask framework (Python), which is lightweight yet powerful enough to allow for flexibility as the platform grows. Flask is also a great choice because it offers simple, clean code while still providing the functionality to scale up if needed. I’m excited to start building out the foundation, and I think there’s a lot of potential to add on exciting features down the road. Workflow: I don't want to overcomplicate this part. The workflow is simple: We will use Git as the version control system while working on the project in GitHub. How We Plan to Make Money: Now, I want to be very transparent upfront—this project is not about making a ton of money. In fact (and as said), the website is going to be entirely free for users. I really believe in offering this as a service to dog owners without asking for any kind of subscription or payment. That being said, I do realize that keeping the platform running (especially as it grows) will require some revenue generation to cover costs like hosting, development, and ongoing improvements. For now, I’m thinking about making money through good old-fashioned ads. These would be relatively non-intrusive and pet-related to maintain a pleasant user experience. I’m also considering the potential for sponsorships from dog food companies, toy manufacturers, or pet-related startups. There’s a lot of potential to work with brands who align with our values and are looking to reach dedicated pet owners in an organic way. In fact, this could be a win-win scenario—companies could gain exposure while users would get access to trusted products. Another potential route is to build affiliate partnerships with companies like Amazon or Chewy. This would allow us to make a small commission if users end up purchasing products through links on our platform, without adding any additional costs to the user. Again, I want to stress that the goal here is not to monetize heavily but simply to ensure the platform is sustainable in the long run. Potential Collaborators: If anyone is interested in joining this project, whether it’s for the tech side, product data, marketing, or even community management, I would absolutely love to have your support. I’m very open to hearing ideas, brainstorming together, and figuring out how we can make this platform as useful and impactful as possible. You don’t have to be an expert in Python or Flask to get involved. Even if you’re a dog lover with insights into what you’d want in a platform like this, I’d be thrilled to have you join the conversation. Also, if you're someone who has experience in the pet care industry, whether that’s in marketing, product research, or content creation, your insights could be invaluable in helping shape the platform. There are so many directions this project can go, and the more people involved, the stronger it can become. Future Features and Possibilities: Although I want to keep things relatively simple in the beginning, there are a lot of exciting future features that we could potentially add: User Reviews: Allow users to leave feedback on dog food, treats, and toys they’ve tried. Real-world experiences from other dog owners would make the platform much more trustworthy. Content and Blog Section: We could create blog posts around pet care topics like “best toys for high-energy dogs,” “how to choose the right dog food for allergies,” or “top recommendations for senior dogs.” Mobile App: If the platform gains traction, we could build out a mobile app for an even more seamless user experience. Naming the Platform: I’ve been thinking of naming it "justadoggie.com". It’s simple, friendly, and I think it reflects the spirit of what we’re trying to create—a helpful, easy-to-use platform for dog owners who simply want to do the best for their pets. Of course, I’m open to feedback on the name too! In summary, this project is still very much in its early stages, and I’m eager to hear your thoughts and suggestions. Do you think this is a good idea? Is it too ambitious? Would you change anything? And, of course, if you’re interested in getting involved in any capacity, please don’t hesitate to reach out—I’d love to build this together. Thanks so much for reading this lengthy post, and I’m really looking forward to your feedback and ideas!

Replies

Fredo Tan
You might have better luck there instead of here. There: https://www.ycombinator.com/cofo...
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Borja DR
Hi Scott, Your idea is interesting! there's definitely a lot of potential in the pet industry for innovative solutions. - How do you plan to source the initial dog information? Are you aiming to build the database solely from user inputs? If so, it might be challenging to provide immediate value to users at the start. - Some monetization ideas: - Premium veterinary advice - A pet food subscription service based on user searches - Data insights to pet brands Best of luck, and feel free to reach out if you want to discuss further!
xavi
I too am a dog lover,do have a little one, so I understand you. You could use my project platform AiGenie if that helps, can make it free for you.
Milo Nathaniel Thorne
Sounds interesting, I'd be open to discussing further! Do you have a deck or overview of what you're working on that you could share? We could hop on a quick call to see if there might be a fit. Let me know how you'd like to connect!
Lily Mae Anderson
Sounds like an exciting opportunity! I'd suggest connecting via LinkedIn or email to set up an initial call. Discuss your respective backgrounds, skills you're looking for in a co-founder, equity split, and overall vision for the company. If there's a good fit, you can move forward with next steps like signing an NDA before diving into the details. Wishing you the best in finding the right partner!
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Elijah Scott
I love your concept! Tailoring recommendations based on specific needs is a great way to help dog owners. If you need any input or just want to brainstorm ideas, count me in.
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Faraz Faraz
I am interested in this idea. would like to discuss this further with you. How can we connect?