First ten customers: PetBrief 0.1.0 beta
Target: independent pet sitters and dog walkers (solo or 2-person). Not boarding facilities — those already run PetExec/Gingr/PawLoyalty. The sitter is still on paper, phone, and scattered texts.
Channel 1 — Local Facebook groups (highest intent)
Search "[your city] pet sitters", "dog walkers [your city]", "[your city] pets". Join 3–5 groups. Don't pitch on day one: answer two intake/vaccination-record questions helpfully, then post:
"I build digital intake forms for independent sitters — one link per sitter,
vaccination follow-ups tracked and sent for you every month, no app for your clients to install. I'm
looking for 3 sitters to try it free for a month in exchange for honest
feedback. DM me if your intake is still paper screenshots and text threads."
Channel 2 — Rover / Wag community forums
Sitters complain about chasing vaccination records. Reply helpfully to two threads about paperwork/admin, then offer the free pilot in your profile and one measured comment — never spam.
Channel 3 — Etsy-review mining
Etsy sellers move ~$9 paper intake bundles; their reviewers are buyers who already pay for intake. Filter reviews mentioning "wish it was digital" or "too much paper". The sellers' reviewer lists are public; reach out with the digital-upgrade angle: "what if the form chased the vaccination records for you?"
Channel 4 — Groomers and vet waiting rooms
One-page flyer with a QR code to the live demo. Ask permission first; offer the shop a free intake link for their own referrals in return.
Channel 5 — Your first three, free
The first 3 sitters are free pilots (see START-HERE.md step 4). Their payment: a testimonial and one referral each. Convert to $199 + $29/mo only after the pilot month, only if they'd genuinely pay.
Outreach script (text/DM)
Hi {name} — I saw your post about {intake/paperwork/vaccination} hassle. I
build a digital intake for independent sitters: clients answer once, you get
a printable meet-and-greet brief, and vaccination follow-ups are tracked and
sent for you every month. No app for your clients, no monthly software to learn. I'm
giving 3 sitters a free month to prove it works — want one of the spots?
Follow-up cadence
Day 3: one nudge. Day 10: close the loop ("spots are filled / closing this week"). Never more than two touches per sitter. Track every conversation in a simple sheet: name, channel, date, response, pilot yes/no, converted yes/no.
What success looks like
10 conversations → 3 pilots → 1–2 paying sitters = the hypothesis survives. 10 conversations → 0 pilots = the wedge is wrong; re-scope (see RESEARCH-BRIEF.md candidate B/C) instead of pushing harder.