Interview with Vidhisha Chaturvedi | Pedibreed
Pedibreed is a start-up that was created to fill in the ever growing need in the pet care industry. We connect pet owners to pet service
providers based on location, ratings, affordability, availability and convenience.
Pedibreed offers a one stop solution for all pet care services and a supportive community for raising pets with love and care. With a great network of pet service providers and a growing online pets’ community,pedibreed gives you the best choices and offers for you and your pets.
Links
Website: www.pedibreed.in
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pedibreed/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pedibreed/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/13444659/
1. What gets you out of bed in the morning i.e what’s your source of motivation?
I wake up each morning with mixed feelings – excitement, anxiety,adventure and challenge. The best part about waking up and getting out
of bed is not having a regular and fixed job. Each day is new, fresh and unpredictable for me which gives me a kick and look forward to starting my day. I am very much motivated by what Steve Jobs asked himself each morning – “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”
2. Why should people choose your product/services?
Pedibreed is a start-up that was created to fill in the ever growing need in the pet care industry. We connect pet owners to pet service
providers based on location, ratings, affordability, availability and convenience. We purely focus on providing quality services and help simplify pet parenting. We provide services in the categories – VETs,pet trainers, photographers, groomers, boarding, sitters, walkers,therapies etc.
3. What’s your competitive advantage and why can’t it be copied?
We are not here to compete but to conquer the pet industry and disrupt how it works. Pet parenting can be a hassle. While most pet
owners, struggle finding the right pet care service providers, for the service providers it can be quite challenging to get business. So here is a platform that connects the pet owners to service providers and vice versa – serving as an aggregator. We also offer a complete resource for pet parenting including features like – pedipals, live chat and support, hyperlocal services, bookings and appointments, blogs, adoption and pet care. Pedibreed is not just a startup but a fast growing community for
pet parents – the idea is unique and niche catering only to Urban pet parents.
4. What risks are you facing?
We are currently bootstrapped and with financial restrictions there are some challenges we face as a startup. Time factor is one of the major risks, since Pedibreed is a community based platform – the growth and scalability of the business is dependent on the target market which is quite niche in India currently.
5. Have you considered any alliance/partnership?
Yes we have been contemplating partnering with pet product manufacturers since Pedibreed does not sell any products. Our focus is purely on services at the moment, however with growing user base and demands from pet owners, we will be partnering with pet product companies in the future so we can provide our consumers with everything under one roof – services, products and resources.
6. What are your cash flow projections? When will you break even? How much will you need in investments?
We are a fairly new startup and at this stage we are working towards acquiring our initial paid customers. It is hard to predict the cash
flow at this stage.
We are currently raising a seed round for 50 Lakhs INR.
7. What comes first for you money or emotions?
Money is a motivating factor to run any business. I personally like to keep money and emotions separate. Money is a tangible asset while an emotion is something intangible. So for me both are equally important.
8. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
I have studied, worked and lived in Australia for over 10 years so my biggest strength would be my International education, exposure and
experience. I’ve been quite successful in establishing a smart working culture and training my team with global resources in India.
As for my weakness, I consider myself a fanatic multitasker and I’ll be working and jumping from one thing to another in short spans of time.
9. Tell me about an accomplishment you are most proud of.
I am proud of what I have gained and lost in this entrepreneurial journey which I embarked upon 1.5 years ago. Quitting my job and life in
Australia to come back to india to pursue my passion was not an easy decision but It is an accomplishment for me.
10. How do you handle the pressure?
I believe handling pressure is something I’m quite good at naturally. I have worked in high pressured roles in my career which have
equipped me with the skills and ability to deal with pressure. Pressure is something that gives me a boost. If things run absolutely smoothly, I start having doubts. But on a lighter note, I do take out time to play with my dogs regularly. They are great stress busters!!!
11. If you sold your company today, what would be the tone of the conversation? What would you want to gain? What would you want to avoid losing?
Pedibreed is not just a company, it is a community and a brand which has grown from seed. For me Pedibreed is like a baby and I strive to nurture it and see it grow in to a successful business. Hypothetically,If I was to sell my company I would pass it over to someone who is as passionate as me about changing the pet industry and serving the community with full dedication. I would want to have earned the reputation, credibility and trust from pet owners and the industry. Losing customers’ loyalty is something I would want to avoid for sure.
12. What advice would you give to someone starting out?
I believe every idea is unique and each person goes through his or her own journey. My advice to someone starting out would be to stay
focussed, believe in yourself and your idea. There is a lot of negativity around and the start up journey can be lonely. But remember,
you are doing what you love and are passionate about it – not everyone gets to live their dream! So stay positive and work hard 🙂
13. How the idea of Pedibreed came about.
I was struggling raising my toy poodle. Pet parenting is not easy and I was constantly hassled with finding the right groomer, VET, trainer, sitter or boarding for my dog. I spent hours searching the nearest options on google – wasted time waiting for hours to get an appointment for my dog. That is when the idea of creating an online community for pet owners springed. The problems I faced as a pet parent were not just mine, but common to most other pet parents and I wanted to eagerly solve
this for all.
