The challenge

Have you ever had an idea that tugged at your mind, over and over again? I did. Still do. For years I dismissed that idea and put it to the back of my mind. Finally, I decided it was time to address this idea head on. Following the Lean Startup Method, this simple idea turned into a 170+ discovery interviews, a real business model, competitive analysis, and culminated in a 2nd Place finish at EntreFest, a state-wide pitch Competition.

Do we really have to use electric shock on our pets?

Due to an unfortunate incident when my wife Jen was young, she was left with an unending fear of watching our black Lab/German Shepherd, named Kira, run out of our yard and get struck by a vehicle in the street. It’s a gruesome thought, yes, but it’s also a real concern. So when we bought our first house as a newly married couple, Jen was adamant that we needed to find a solution to calm her fears. So, we did our research and identified the top three solutions:

1. Physical fence
   A physical fence would be perfect. It would guarantee our dog would not move past the boundaries set for her. However, as a young couple not far removed from college graduation, spending $1500-3000 for a physical fence was simply not in our budget.
   
   

2. Long leash/chain
   This solution was both cheap and simple; tether a long line near the back door and allow Kira to venture as far as the line lets her. Yet, we agreed this would still limit Kira’s freedom. Our goal was let Kira step outside and feel the freedom and ownership to walk around her personal kingdom. Feeling the consistent tug of the line would never give her this freedom.
   
   

3. Invisible Fence
   The Invisible Fence, which keeps your pet inside a boundary line through training and electric shock when passing over that boundary, seemed to be our best option. While we were uneasy about the shock, we were convinced that this solution would give Kira the most freedom at a price that, while expensive, we could still afford.

So we purchased the Invisible Fence and hired a certified trainer to train Kira on her new boundaries. During initial Invisible Fence trainings, the dog needs to feel the shock in order to know what it feels like and what the audible beeps are warning her about when coming close to the boundary. The first time Kira got shocked, she ran to the center of the yard, laid down, and was visibly shaking. The shock traumatized her so greatly that neither the trainer nor I could get Kira back up and willing to train. In the end, the Invisible Fence didn’t work for us. We couldn’t stand to see our pup so scared to explore her surroundings, especially when we intended for the opposite result.

We couldn't stand to see our pup so scared to explore her surroundings, especially when we intended for the opposite result. - Eric Peters

The solution

A simple, portable, and humane pet fence solution.

Throw away the need for a shock collar. With only a mobile app and smart collar, Boundry’s proprietary training plan will train your pup to stay within their boundaries, using only positive reinforcement techniques. With our precise geofencing technology, you can take your pup anywhere and be confident that they will stay safe in your preferred boundary. 

User research

We conducted 170+ in-person interviews and online surveys. Our research groups included a wide range of participants from the tech-savvy 25 year old to the retired teacher. Through these interviews, we were able to identify our core differentiators and our biggest challenges. 

Personas

Competitive analysis

Pain Free	✅	❌	❌	✅
Portable Fence	✅	❌	❌	❌
GPS Tracking	✅	❌	❌	❌
Price	$	$$	$$	$$$

The Product

[WATCH] Pitch Competition, EntreFest