The Decision
TOHacks, the non-profit organization that I co-founded, is hosting its 4th annual hackathon. After a lengthy discussion, we decided to order corgi stickers featuring the TOHacks logo!
I know it's not the same as a real corgi, but this is the best we can do. Or is it?
We're looking for corgis (or any other furry friends) to do a virtual pet therapy hangout out at our hackathon on May 8-9th. If you're ready for the spotlight, please reach out. We'll pay for treats!
Anyways, let's dive into the future of pets in the passion economy.
An outside view on pet communities
There are both online and offline pet communities, each with its own value propositions and scale.
Offline, there are:
Local dog parks, where you can meet your neighbourhood friends.
Big meetups such as Corgi Con in San Francisco.
Pet-themed cafes such as Corgi in the Garden in Bangkok, Thailand.
Online, there are:
Forum communities that have a section on pets, such as r/AnimalsOnReddit or https://www.dogforum.com/.
Accounts dedicated to pets on social media apps.
The future of online pet communities
I predict that the growth of the passion economy will enable humans and their furry friends to monetize their skills (or learn new ones!). Here are three areas in which I believe the pet community will grow over the next few years:
A cohort-based course for dog training.
Offline businesses like doggy daycare exist. There are also self-paced training courses and videos on dog training. I see an opportunity for collaborative learning. Together, dog owners can gather and learn the basics of training and caring for their puppies. Perhaps, a group-learning session could be dedicated to teaching ASL!
Co-parenting and the evolution of dog-walking services
Dog-walking services already exist. There are many applications where you can search for dog-walkers in your area. In terms of co-parenting: 2 parties may decide to share taking care of a pet. But what about having a more data-driven process to pair dog-walkers or co-parents together?
OnlyFans for Pets: Support your favourite creator and receive exclusive content.
Below the Fold
Thanks for reading! Here are the top 5 things that resonated with me this week:
On Deck raises $20 million
Article: A Simple System for Creating Community Based on Dunbar’s Number by Barrett Brooks
Quote: “At some point, the pain of not doing it becomes greater than the pain of doing it.” - Steven Pressfield, The War of Art
200+ Community-Driven Founder Resources Guide by Lolita Taub (The Community Fund) and much more!
Podcast: Productivity & Meditation, with Chris Bailey on the Focused Podcast, by David Sparks and Mike Schmitz.
Thank you to Shwetha, Ananya, and Emily for feedback and suggestions.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your newsletter this week! I particularly liked the mentioning of corgis and furry friends at the upcoming hackathon! 🐕