4 ms·

O/T slightly. We "dogsit" dogs for fun using the Rover app. The amount we charge and ultimately receive after Rover's cut is hilariously small for what the pe

O/T slightly. We "dogsit" dogs for fun using the Rover app. The amount we charge and ultimately receive after Rover's cut is hilariously small for what the pet owner receives in return. Even if we quadrupled our rate, it still wouldn't be "worth it" for someone trying to make a living, or even a second income.

oh_sigh 5y ago
I always assumed people would use Rover to find a trustworthy walker, and then just pay them in cash and cut out Rover. I guess you lose out on insurance in case your dog is injured during the walk but that doesn't seem worth it for how much they take.
- josefresco 5y ago
  We've had a couple repeat requests, but through the app not outside. We're not "dog walkers" so maybe that's the difference as most of our customers are on vacation, or are going on vacation which doesn't happen on a regular basis.
- AnotherGoodName 5y ago
  I was assuming people just want to hang out with a dog now and then regardless of how much it pays.
  - josefresco 5y ago
    This is us. We just love dogs. Building a business model off of people willing to sacrifice their time and money just to love on dogs is ... a little nuts.
  - sokoloff 5y ago
    Our prior dog died this summer and I considered doing some dogsitting for exactly this reason. When I looked into these easy, online/app-based services, it wasn't worth the coordination effort (with the humans) and was easier to just go interact with dogs and owners on the sidewalks and at the local dog parks when I needed my dog fix.
    - josefresco 5y ago
      Hey so this was/is us. We raised two dogs from puppies, and when they both died of old-age related issues, we couldn't bring ourselves to bond with another dog/pet. Logistics aren't bad (my wife handles comm). Some people though want to meet us before the transaction which is a pain because of the amount of money involved and inconvenience.
- kungito 5y ago
  And they probably take so much exactly because they will probably earn only on the first few transactions before the relationship is taken offline
spaetzleesser 5y ago
How much of a cut do they take? I have used three Rover sitters and they all wanted to cut out the middleman after a few times. In general my fear is that the gig economy will lead to high margin middlemen instead of super efficient facilitators.
- josefresco 5y ago
  I believe it's 15% however my beef isn't with the fee but rather "the market" pricing. The value I deliver as a passionate dogsitter is probably worth several hundred dollars a day. The dog lives in our home, is showered with love, we take and send photos throughout the day to the owner and typically the dog sleeps in our bed (not to mention we usually buy the dog a toy). The rate we charge, based on what others are charging should mean your dog is locked is small room, akin to a kennel and fed/walked regularly. We've not had enough repeat business to develop "outside" relationships, but I'm sure that's coming down the road as we've made plenty of dog owners (and dogs) super happy.
  - spaetzleesser 5y ago
    "The value I deliver as a passionate dogsitter is probably worth several hundred dollars a day. " In principle this may be true but for most dog owners this would be prohibitively expensive. I bet if you figure out how to market to the super wealthy you may get away with these rates.
  - tyingq 5y ago
    Sounds like they need a sort of "Uber Black" section in the app to serve that market.
  - horsawlarway 5y ago
    Isn't this an unrelated issue to your original point? (not being able to make a living) It sounds like you've just mis-matched the quality of your service vs the quality the market (that you're advertising in) is seeking. I know when I leave town for a few days, I'm ok with my dogs just getting a clean crate, food, and a walk every day. They don't love it, but as long as they're clean, safe, and fed - I don't really have any problems with them being bored. They certainly don't need to sleep in your bed. There might well be a market for the level of service you're providing (there is - I have family who do 2 week board and trains, and the price starts around 2.5k per dog) but it's not Rover.

oh_sigh 5y ago

I always assumed people would use Rover to find a trustworthy walker, and then just pay them in cash and cut out Rover. I guess you lose out on insurance in case your dog is injured during the walk but that doesn't seem worth it for how much they take.

josefresco 5y ago
We've had a couple repeat requests, but through the app not outside. We're not "dog walkers" so maybe that's the difference as most of our customers are on vacation, or are going on vacation which doesn't happen on a regular basis.
AnotherGoodName 5y ago
I was assuming people just want to hang out with a dog now and then regardless of how much it pays.
- josefresco 5y ago
  This is us. We just love dogs. Building a business model off of people willing to sacrifice their time and money just to love on dogs is ... a little nuts.
- sokoloff 5y ago
  Our prior dog died this summer and I considered doing some dogsitting for exactly this reason. When I looked into these easy, online/app-based services, it wasn't worth the coordination effort (with the humans) and was easier to just go interact with dogs and owners on the sidewalks and at the local dog parks when I needed my dog fix.
  - josefresco 5y ago
    Hey so this was/is us. We raised two dogs from puppies, and when they both died of old-age related issues, we couldn't bring ourselves to bond with another dog/pet. Logistics aren't bad (my wife handles comm). Some people though want to meet us before the transaction which is a pain because of the amount of money involved and inconvenience.
kungito 5y ago
And they probably take so much exactly because they will probably earn only on the first few transactions before the relationship is taken offline

spaetzleesser 5y ago

How much of a cut do they take? I have used three Rover sitters and they all wanted to cut out the middleman after a few times. In general my fear is that the gig economy will lead to high margin middlemen instead of super efficient facilitators.

josefresco 5y ago
I believe it's 15% however my beef isn't with the fee but rather "the market" pricing. The value I deliver as a passionate dogsitter is probably worth several hundred dollars a day. The dog lives in our home, is showered with love, we take and send photos throughout the day to the owner and typically the dog sleeps in our bed (not to mention we usually buy the dog a toy). The rate we charge, based on what others are charging should mean your dog is locked is small room, akin to a kennel and fed/walked regularly. We've not had enough repeat business to develop "outside" relationships, but I'm sure that's coming down the road as we've made plenty of dog owners (and dogs) super happy.
- spaetzleesser 5y ago
  "The value I deliver as a passionate dogsitter is probably worth several hundred dollars a day. " In principle this may be true but for most dog owners this would be prohibitively expensive. I bet if you figure out how to market to the super wealthy you may get away with these rates.
- tyingq 5y ago
  Sounds like they need a sort of "Uber Black" section in the app to serve that market.
- horsawlarway 5y ago
  Isn't this an unrelated issue to your original point? (not being able to make a living) It sounds like you've just mis-matched the quality of your service vs the quality the market (that you're advertising in) is seeking. I know when I leave town for a few days, I'm ok with my dogs just getting a clean crate, food, and a walk every day. They don't love it, but as long as they're clean, safe, and fed - I don't really have any problems with them being bored. They certainly don't need to sleep in your bed. There might well be a market for the level of service you're providing (there is - I have family who do 2 week board and trains, and the price starts around 2.5k per dog) but it's not Rover.