Design a dog-walking service app for busy professionals

Design a premium, on-demand and recurring dog-walking platform connecting busy corporate professionals with certified, vetted dog walkers.

Context

Dog owners experience severe separation anxiety and lack trust regarding strangers entering their homes and caring for their beloved pets.

Clarifying questions to ask first

Are walks individual 1-on-1 or multi-dog group pack walks?
How is home access handled (digital smart locks vs physical key lockboxes)?

How to approach it

Two-Sided Marketplace Personas: Busy Working Pet Parents (guilt, safety, home access trust) vs Certified Dog Walkers (scheduling, safety, fair wages)
Map Trust & Safety Journey: Walker vetting -> Home key exchange / Smart Lock integration -> Live walk GPS tracking -> Post-walk report card
Design Core Delight Features:
1. Live GPS "Pee & Poo" Map Tracker: Real-time route tracking with photo timestamps whenever the dog relieves itself
2. Secure Smart Lock / Lockbox One-Time Access Integration
3. Walker Body-Cam Live Video Stream: 1-minute live video check-in for anxious owners
4. Comprehensive Post-Walk Report Card: Mood, hydration, energy level, and candid photos
Define Safety SLAs and Trust Metrics

Framework: Marketplace Dynamics -> Trust & Safety Barriers -> Feature Design (GPS Telemetry, Smart Access, Report Cards) -> Vetting & Insurance -> Metrics

Sample answer

Trust is the entire product: if owners feel 100% confident in home access and pet safety, price sensitivity disappears
Live GPS tracking and potty-logging provide immediate emotional reassurance during the workday

MVP: Background-checked walker profiles with video intros, smart-lock one-time entry codes, live GPS walk tracking with photo check-ins, and $1M veterinary insurance guarantee

Executive design: A trust-first dog walking marketplace featuring live GPS potty tracking, smart-lock guest pass integration, and interactive post-walk photo report cards.

What interviewers look for

Two-Sided Marketplace Balance
Trust & Home Access Security Architecture
Live Walk Telemetry & Photo Delight UX
Walker Vetting & Emergency Protocols