I believe people are annoyed when they must carry dog bags of poop throughout a walk.
There is an unmet need for a solution to eliminate the need to carry a dog bag of waste. People experience this unpleasant occurrence when they walk their dogs for an extended distance in neighborhoods. This problem started when it became culturally unacceptable to leave dog poop in yards since it spreads bacteria and makes an area more susceptible to disease. I am about 20% sure this opportunity exists.
When I went to the nearby park, there were several people, but they were all walkers and no one was walking a dog. I decided to interview some people since I was there, just in case some of them had dogs and might experience the problem. The first people I interviewed were a pair of females. I asked them if they owned a dog. They do. Their dog stays in the backyard, so they don't walk their dog.
I then interviewed a lady who is from Wisconsin. I asked if she had a dog, and she does. In fact, the Shih Tzu was in the truck in the parking lot. The 13-year-old cutie is not suited for a walk around the half-mile loop, but she enjoys chilling in the truck with the occasional walk. The lady said she never considered dog bags to be a hassle, but rather something that just had to be done. She never questioned if there was perhaps a better way. She mentioned her husband puts the dog bag in his pocket.
Next, I talked to a lady who had a labradoodle. When asking the questions, I ended up sounding like I was trying to suggest dog bags are gross so why pick up the poop. But I eventually got it right and she said she never thought of the issue of carrying dog bags. She said several dog parks have stations to drop off the dog poop, so it never was an issue for her. She also thought people who left dog poop around were rude and what they do is disgusting.
5) Reflect. What did you learn about your opportunity? What was the most surprising thing you learned about your opportunity? (You may reflect after each iteration or you may simply include a single reflection that captures all three iterations.)
It seems like people do not feel like carrying dog bags is an issue. From the information I gathered, if someone didn't like carrying dog bags, they simply would keep their dog in their yard or just leave the dog poop on the ground. Maybe Ocala is not the environment that would have a demand for something that frees up your hands while you are walking your dog. Maybe an area like Tampa is more suitable for it since more people do not have yards and the population is younger and would rather have both their hands free so they can use their phone while on a walk.
I believe entrepreneurs should adapt their opportunities as they gather more information from customers. They should definitely consider what the customer brings up unless the entrepreneur knows some technicalities that the consumer wouldn't care to understand. There should be adapting of ideas and freedom to completely start over on the design.
I could not agree more that there is an unmet need in regards to dog walkers having to carry poop bags. This is definitely a problem I never actually thought about but I loved hearing about yours and other peoples' perspectives that perhaps experience this first handedly. I would definitely say it is one of mine and many others' pet peeve when dog walkers leave their dog's poop on the ground rather than picking it up and doing what's right. There is definitely opportunity here and after reading your post I definitely think there can be a solution to this unmet need to prevent from dog walkers leaving poop on the ground and making it more convenient for them to pick it up and throw it away rather than having to carry it around.
ReplyDeleteHi Mikalee,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your issue of carrying dog poop throughout a walk. I have had my dog for the last two years and I have found it difficult to find places to leave her poop. I live right off of campus so this area is less family friendly and more oriented to students so there are less places where you can leave the dog poop safely. More importantly than the annoyance of carrying dog poop for myself personally I think that it is absolutely disgusting that people leave their dog pop for others to step on.
Mikalee,
ReplyDeleteI agree with the younger population would rather have two free hands to utilize their phone while walking their dog. My best friend puts her dog bags around the top of the leash until her dog poops. Like you, I do believe the need for carrying dog bags varies depending on the area. I think that the more feedback entrepreneurs take from their consumers, the easier it’ll be to maintain their business.
I agree with your idea. There are tons of dog owners in Gainsville, and many of them live in apartments so they are forced to walk their dogs outside, which leaves them with your problem. As you said I do believe that some people take the problem more serious, and others don't care. However, if a solution was offered I think everyone would take advantage of it.
ReplyDelete