Latest biz war in the market - Rover vs Wag - both targeting the same consumer at the same price point in the same market, with the ~same funding; and one rumored to be looking for a buyer (Wag). Who will win the fight? Thoughts in the thread below

1/n

Price point of ~$20-50/walk (in the SF market) puts both at targeting the upper middle income millennials/young boomers (millennials are the largest pet owning age group in the US) need to dissect the decision making psyche of this consumer
2/n

Most pet owners treat the pet akin to a child 1st concern is safety. Given the rushed lives of this segment, 2nd is convenience. With high income comes ‘consumer entitlement’ 3rd is customization. Finally, for a repeat use case, everyone cares about
3/n

(1) Pet safety - Both (offer to) send pictures of the walk to the owners; But Wag is ridden with PR scandals/mishaps - both pet care accidents and data breaches - Rover seems to have a comparatively cleaner chit
4/n

(2) Convenience - ease of booking +coordinating; Wag has ‘ASAP’ dog walking services (Rover doesn’t) caters to millennials’ habits of last minute plans/hectic work lives; Rover needs the owner to be home for coordination (Wag doesn’t) -seriously limits the demand side
5/n

(3) Customized care/personalization - Rover ‘humanizes’ the walkers + lets you choose the Walker + encourages repeat bookings with the same walker allows for trust building increases demand funnel + incentivizes supply side
6/n

(4) Price flexibility - even this segment likes some price flexibility + wider price range allows for a wider consumer funnel; Rover’s prices are set by the walkers (Wag has auto-pricing like Uber) Rover does better on having a bigger $ range
7/n

Supply side - Rover’s set-your-own-price allows for a bigger funnel of walkers instead of de-incentivizing those that want more $; It also makes walkers feel more-human-less-robot; Repeat biz model allows walkers to plan their income source overall, is more walker friendly
8/n

Comes down to a convenience vs quality game - while most lovers of “furry babies” will likely pick quality (price being comparable) - ones who can’t be home/can’t plan ahead will succumb to Wag Still, I lean towards Rover
9/n

Potential game-changing moves for Rover (aside from buying Wag of course)? 1) Build a cleaner UI (Wag’s looks more millennial friendly) 2) Add the ASAP walk feature while maintaining the choose-your-walker philosophy 3) Enable pick ups when owners aren’t home

10/10