EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The objective of this executive summary is to provide an overview of the whole project process, where the principles of the lean start-up method have been applied. Hereby we would like to expound on the primary goal, the methodology and the concrete results of this project. 

Goal

Over the course of this semester, the goal was to detect a problem for which there is no satisfactory solution on the market yet. In our case this was the problem of dogs not drinking enough water. As a lack of water consumption can lead to diseases, organ damage and even death of your hairy friend, we knew we wanted to change something about it.

Methodology

The method applied in the project course “Garage” is the lean start-up method. The concept of the lean method is to focus on the resources one has and to find a possibility to use them in case to produce value. Thus, it can be seen as a counter concept to the classic approach, where the goal is pre-defined and then one defines what would be needed to reach the goal.

The main characteristic of the lean method is the build-measure-learn cycle, an iterating process the team goes through again and again. It starts with formulating hypotheses that then need to be tested. The evaluation of the results then helps to validate or disprove the hypothesis. Based on that, further hypotheses can be formulated and tested once again. Through the iterative process, it is possible to be more flexible and to quickly adapt to one’s findings.

Results

After researching the current solutions for the problem of dogs not drinking enough water and checking with potential customers, we found existing products on the market especially lack convenience and sustainability. Often the solutions need a lot of space, time or are hard to store. Also, the packaging and ingredients often consist materials harmful for the planet (e.g. aluminium) and are not organic. Thus, we wanted to find a solution that fits this market needs.

This is why we started to develop HyrdoPet. HyrdoPet is a self-dissolving tablet you can easily put in the water giving it an appealing taste (e.g. chicken). As a consequence your dog will love drinking water again, resulting in an increased water consumption and an improved health. By using organic ingredients and sustainable packaging, we want to support dogs’ health without harming other animals or the planet.

Over the course of the semester, we conducted six expert and vet interviews, more than 20 customer interviews, another survey with more than 50 participants and went through three rounds of prototype testing involving more than 15 dogs. This was additionally supported by our extensive research on the matter. All this has helped us to take into account various aspects such as customer needs, market regulations, technical feasibility and other factors to develop the easiest solution to motivate your dog to drink.

Cooperation Partner

• HydroPet

Contact Person

• David Berger - david@berger-berger.at

Student Team

• Berger David

• Poiss Eric

• Schweizer Christoph

• Wusits Yvonne

Project Manager

• Alexander Staub, M.Sc.

• Thomas Pannermayr, MSc (WU)