{"id":41535,"date":"2025-07-31T17:46:56","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T17:46:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/blog\/?p=41535"},"modified":"2026-11-02T16:42:03","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T21:42:03","slug":"dogpack-scaled-pre-revenue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/blog\/dogpack-scaled-pre-revenue\/","title":{"rendered":"From Facebook Groups to 1.5M Users: DogPack\u2019s Wild Ride to Scale a Pre-Revenue App"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>At MGS Canada, DogPack Co-founder Dov Punski shared how the team built a global dog community with over 1.5 million users across 20 countries and 14 languages.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/mobilegrowthassociation.com\/events\/mgs-canada-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MGS Canada<\/a><\/strong>, DogPack Co-founder and CMO&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/dov-punski-671481238\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dov Punski<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;shared the raw, behind-the-scenes journey of turning a simple idea into one of the fastest-growing dog communities in the world. From growth hacks to investor wins and marketing lessons, this talk is a must-watch for founders, marketers, and early-stage investors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83c\udfa5&nbsp;<strong>Watch the full video on YouTube<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"From Facebook Groups to 1.5M Users: How DogPack Scaled A Pre Revenue App\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nDBEkCP_9_g?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.kt-accordion-id41535_5f0802-d9 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.kt-blocks-accordion-header.kt-accordion-panel-active .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger{background:#ffffff;}.kt-accordion-id41535_5f0802-d9:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-blocks-accordion-header.kt-accordion-panel-active .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:after, .kt-accordion-id41535_5f0802-d9:not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-basic ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-xclose ):not( .kt-accodion-icon-style-arrow ) .kt-blocks-accordion-header.kt-accordion-panel-active .kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger:before{background:var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-accordion-id41535_5f0802-d9 .kt-accordion-panel-inner{border-top:0px solid transparent;border-right:0px solid transparent;border-bottom:0px solid transparent;border-left:0px solid transparent;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-accordion-id41535_5f0802-d9 > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header{border-top:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-right:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-bottom:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-left:0px solid #f2f2f2;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-accordion-id41535_5f0802-d9 > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header:hover, \n\t\t\t\tbody:not(.hide-focus-outline) .kt-accordion-id41535_5f0802-d9 .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible{border-top-color:#eeeeee;border-right-color:#eeeeee;border-bottom-color:#eeeeee;border-left-color:#eeeeee;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-accordion-id41535_5f0802-d9 .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible,\n\t\t\t\t.kt-accordion-id41535_5f0802-d9 > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header.kt-accordion-panel-active{border-top-color:#BE530B;border-right-color:#BE530B;border-bottom-color:#BE530B;border-left-color:#BE530B;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kt-accordion-id41535_5f0802-d9 .kt-accordion-inner-wrap{display:block;}.kt-accordion-id41535_5f0802-d9 .kt-accordion-inner-wrap .kt-accordion-pane:not(:first-child){margin-top:10px;}.kt-accordion-id41535_5f0802-d9 .kt-accordion-panel-inner{border-top:0px solid transparent;border-right:0px solid transparent;border-bottom:0px solid transparent;border-left:0px solid transparent;}.kt-accordion-id41535_5f0802-d9 > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header{border-top:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-right:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-bottom:0px solid #f2f2f2;border-left:0px solid #f2f2f2;}.kt-accordion-id41535_5f0802-d9 > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header:hover, \n\t\t\t\tbody:not(.hide-focus-outline) .kt-accordion-id41535_5f0802-d9 .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible{border-top-color:#eeeeee;border-right-color:#eeeeee;border-bottom-color:#eeeeee;border-left-color:#eeeeee;}.kt-accordion-id41535_5f0802-d9 .kt-accordion-header-wrap .kt-blocks-accordion-header:focus-visible,\n\t\t\t\t.kt-accordion-id41535_5f0802-d9 > .kt-accordion-inner-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-pane > .kt-accordion-header-wrap > .kt-blocks-accordion-header.kt-accordion-panel-active{border-top-color:#BE530B;border-right-color:#BE530B;border-bottom-color:#BE530B;border-left-color:#BE530B;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-accordion alignnone\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-wrap kt-accordion-id41535_5f0802-d9 kt-accordion-has-2-panes kt-active-pane-0 kt-accordion-block kt-pane-header-alignment-left kt-accodion-icon-style-basic kt-accodion-icon-side-right\" style=\"max-width:none\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-inner-wrap\" data-allow-multiple-open=\"false\" data-start-open=\"none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-pane kt-accordion-pane kt-accordion-pane-1 kt-pane41535_a8429f-77\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-header-wrap\"><button class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-header kt-acccordion-button-label-show\" type=\"button\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title-wrap\"><span class=\"kb-svg-icon-wrap kb-svg-icon-fe_fileText kt-btn-side-left\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"  fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"  aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M14 2H6a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v16a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h12a2 2 0 0 0 2-2V8z\"\/><polyline points=\"14 2 14 8 20 8\"\/><line x1=\"16\" y1=\"13\" x2=\"8\" y2=\"13\"\/><line x1=\"16\" y1=\"17\" x2=\"8\" y2=\"17\"\/><polyline points=\"10 9 9 9 8 9\"\/><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-title\"><strong>Want the full breakdown?<\/strong> Click to expand the full transcript.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"kt-blocks-accordion-icon-trigger\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel kt-accordion-panel-hidden\"><div class=\"kt-accordion-panel-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>From Facebook Groups to 1.5M Users \u2014 How DogPack Scaled a Pre-Revenue App<\/strong><br><em>Talk by Dov Punski, Co-Founder &amp; CMO, at MGS Canada<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Introduction and Thank Yous<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hi everyone. My name is Dov Punski, co-founder and CMO of DogPack App. Before I get into it, I just want to thank Jeet and the whole MGS team for inviting me and giving me the opportunity to speak today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I also want to give a quick shoutout to my wife, Sarah, who joined me on the trip to Toronto and helps with marketing. Hitesh is here as well, our head of marketing, and Zed, who is our CRO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How It All Started<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DogPack was founded by myself and my three brothers\u2014and of course, our dog, who played a big part in the idea. The app started as a way to check into dog parks so people could see who was there before going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before DogPack, I was a full-time dog walker, walking six or seven dogs at a time. People would constantly text me to ask where I was. I always went to the best parks and had a well-behaved group, so everyone wanted to join me. But answering constant messages got tiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So I thought\u2014what if there was a better way to organize dog meetups? What if you could check in to a park, get notified when your dog\u2019s friend is there, or avoid dogs they don\u2019t get along with?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Building the DogPack App<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first thing you do when you open DogPack is create a profile for your dog. It\u2019s like Instagram for dogs. You upload a profile photo, write a short bio, and optionally include breed, age, and other details. Most users fill this out completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once you\u2019re in, you can see your followers, who you\u2019re following, and your badge collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the most popular features is our social feed. People love posting pictures of their dogs. You can like, comment, share, and even filter the feed by dog breed or location. For example, you can see only Golden Retrievers if that\u2019s what you\u2019re into.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another core feature is the DogPack map. It shows dog-friendly parks, trails, cafes, shopping areas, groomers, trainers\u2014basically any dog-friendly place. Each location has its own page with reviews, amenities, and a micro-community of followers. People can post photos, chat, and tag features like off-leash areas or swimming zones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Businesses can also join. Whether you\u2019re a groomer, trainer, caf\u00e9, or pet store, you can create a profile, post updates, list your services, and appear in filtered searches. It works just like a personal profile, with added business tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lost and Found Feature<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My personal favorite feature is the Lost and Found. Unfortunately, dogs go missing every day\u2014especially during fireworks or thunderstorms. With DogPack, you can post a missing dog alert in less than a minute. Add a photo, contact info, and location, and it goes live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once approved by our team, we send a push notification to all users within a 10-kilometer radius. It\u2019s our most-opened notification by far. People always want to help. It\u2019s a core part of our mission to build community and trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Earning Badges and In-App Rewards<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nearly everything you do on DogPack earns you badges\u2014whether it\u2019s gaining followers, getting likes, or checking into dog parks. These badges give you Treats, our in-app currency. You can redeem Treats for real prizes in our store, powered by pet brand partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So in short, DogPack is what you\u2019d get if Google Maps and Instagram had a litter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Our Current Metrics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, we are a team of 40 people. Twenty of us are based in Jaipur, India, handling development, QA, and project management. The other 20 are in Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We now have over 1.5 million users, with 400,000 monthly active users. We are live in more than 20 countries and 14 languages. The map includes over 150,000 dog-friendly pins and more than 30,000 registered businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Early Days: Scrappy Facebook Growth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the beginning, we were completely bootstrapped. I went to dog parks to promote the app, talking to dog owners one-on-one. Honestly, it was discouraging. People looked at me like I was selling a pyramid scheme\u2014even people I knew didn\u2019t bother to download the app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then I posted about DogPack in a Montreal Facebook group. I\u2019d been a member for a while. That post got around 100 likes, but more importantly, we saw 10 to 15 installs right after. We had no tracking back then, but we knew those installs weren\u2019t coming from the parks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s when we leaned in hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At our peak, we ran 10 Facebook accounts\u2014mine, my brothers\u2019, my mom\u2019s, my dad\u2019s, my sister\u2019s, even an old friend\u2019s. We joined local community groups, breed-specific dog groups, travel groups\u2014any group we could get into.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We found the sweet spot: 10 posts and 10 new group joins per account per day. That gave us about 100 posts a day across all accounts. Most responses were positive. Some were skeptical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes people called us out. One guy noticed that one of our accounts used a different dog name in a similar post. He said, \u201cSo which is it\u2014Jazz or Benny?\u201d Another replied, \u201cBro gets called out every time and still does it.\u201d But we didn\u2019t care. We saw the installs coming in. That\u2019s all that mattered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over ten months, we gained 50,000 users from that strategy\u2014without spending a dollar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Our First Investor and the Power of LinkedIn<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At that point, we had spent around $50,000 of our own money on development. Between the four of us, it was manageable, but we knew we\u2019d need more to scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We were rejected by at least ten investors. Then my brother Ari posted a LinkedIn update celebrating the 50,000-user milestone. That same day, an investor messaged him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Within one week, we closed a&nbsp;<strong>$1.2 million seed round<\/strong>&nbsp;at a&nbsp;<strong>$6 million valuation<\/strong>\u2014still pre-revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Paid Ads and City-Level Targeting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once we had funding, we kept posting on Facebook, but we also started experimenting with paid ads. We micro-targeted cities like Toronto, Montreal, and New York. Even smaller towns with 100,000 people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We would spend $150 a day on a city, and it worked well\u2014but only for a short period. The performance would drop after a week or two, so we\u2019d shut off the ad and move on to another city. It was effective, but not scalable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Scaling with UGC Campaigns<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s when we pivoted to UGC\u2014user-generated content. We hired small creators from Fiverr and Instagram. These were not big influencers. We paid $70 to $120 per video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We gave them a simple formula: start with an exaggerated dog-related problem, then position DogPack as the solution. Always show the DogPack map in the video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of our creators made a yoga-themed video with her dog. It performed extremely well across Italy, France, and Germany. Another video from a Spanish creator went viral across Latin America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We always provide scripts in multiple languages so we can mix and match video clips. It\u2019s cheaper and more effective than traditional influencer campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mistakes and Lessons Learned<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not everything worked. We spent $7,000 on a mascot costume we named Bubba. It flopped. The only feedback we got was that it looked like a furry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We tried QR code signs in Quebec parks, but we got a warning from the language police for having English-only text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One influencer quoted us $25,000 for a single video, with no ad rights. We walked away. Instead, we focused on smaller creators with fair pricing and no usage restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Raising Our Series A<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eventually, we closed our&nbsp;<strong>Series A<\/strong>:&nbsp;<strong>$8.6 million USD<\/strong>&nbsp;at a&nbsp;<strong>$40 million valuation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was no inspirational LinkedIn post this time. It took nearly a year of effort to secure that round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At this point, Facebook was no longer viable. We had warnings from Meta, and we were tagging DogPack in all posts, which raised red flags. It was painful to let go of what worked, but it was time to evolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What\u2019s Next for DogPack<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019re still pre-revenue but not for long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We just launched&nbsp;<strong>Version 1 of our Marketplace<\/strong>&nbsp;on our website. It\u2019s designed for small pet brands to sell niche products to our audience. We\u2019ll soon expand it to include services like training, walking, and grooming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Version 2 will launch in-app in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019re also working on&nbsp;<strong>Snapchat-style filters for dogs<\/strong>, including face swaps with owners. And we\u2019re releasing an in-app photo challenge game where users vote on themed daily uploads\u2014like Tongue Out Tuesday or Halloween costumes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We plan to partner with brands to sponsor these competitions and increase retention while building monetization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Closing Thoughts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DogPack has grown from a local dog park idea to a global app with over 1.5 million users. Our path wasn\u2019t smooth\u2014Facebook bans, costume fails, and plenty of trial and error\u2014but it\u2019s been worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019re building a real community, and we\u2019re just getting started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thanks for listening.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">It All Started at the Dog Park<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before DogPack, Dov was a full-time dog walker. He kept getting texts from friends asking which park he was at so they could join. That\u2019s when the idea hit: what if dog owners could check into parks and see who was there in real time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From that small pain point, DogPack was born. The app now lets users create dog profiles, share photos, find dog-friendly places, track lost dogs, and connect with others at local parks. But the real story is how they built such a large user base with no revenue and no paid promotion\u2014at least at first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Facebook Growth Hack That Built a Movement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With limited resources, the team went all in on Facebook. They used ten personal accounts (including their mom\u2019s, dad\u2019s, and even an old friend\u2019s) to post in local pet groups every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This grassroots strategy brought in 50,000 users in under a year without spending a dime. Some users called them out, but the installs kept climbing. That traction led to a LinkedIn message from an investor and a $1.2 million seed round at a $6 million valuation\u2014all before revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ads, Microtargeting, and UGC That Actually Worked<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once they raised money, DogPack launched a hyper-targeted ad strategy. They focused on small cities, spent just $1.50 per day per location, and kept campaigns short and nimble. Results were strong, but not scalable long term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s when they leaned into user-generated content. By partnering with small creators around the world, they built relatable, entertaining videos that hooked viewers with exaggerated problems and positioned DogPack as the solution. These low-cost videos performed well across languages and regions and became their most reliable source of installs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Didn\u2019t Work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not every tactic was a win. A $7,000 mascot costume was a total flop. Printed posters got banned by Quebec\u2019s language authority. One influencer asked for $25,000 for a single non-boostable video. But every miss helped refine their approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Series A, Product Expansion, and the Road Ahead<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DogPack eventually closed an $8.6 million Series A at a $40 million valuation. Today the app boasts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Over 1.5 million users<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>425,000 unique monthly active users<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Availability in <strong>20+ countries and 14 languages<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>150,000 dog-friendly locations and 30,000 registered businesses<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now the team is focused on retention and monetization. A new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/marketplace\">pet product marketplace<\/a> just launched on web, with in-app integration coming soon. Upcoming features include dog-friendly filters, a daily photo competition game, and new ways to engage and reward users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why This Talk Matters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is not just a startup success story. It\u2019s a rare, honest look at what it really takes to scale a community-first app with no revenue, no brand awareness, and no paid media team. From posting in local Facebook groups to building a global platform, DogPack\u2019s story is a case study in creativity, persistence, and smart adaptation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc36&nbsp;<a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=nDBEkCP_9_g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Watch the full talk on YouTube<\/a><br>\ud83c\udf10&nbsp;<a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/\">Explore the DogPack App<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At MGS Canada, DogPack Co-founder Dov Punski shared how the team built a global dog community with over 1.5&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":41537,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":8,"label":"DogPack News"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/dogpack-pre-revenue-growth-mgs-talk-1024x683.webp",1024,683,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Hitesh Dhingra","author_link":"https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/blog\/author\/hitesh\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":8,"name":"DogPack News","slug":"news","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":8,"taxonomy":"category","description":"Latest DogPack updates, events, and exciting news for our community.","parent":0,"count":17,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":8,"category_count":17,"category_description":"Latest DogPack updates, events, and exciting news for our community.","cat_name":"DogPack News","category_nicename":"news","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/dogpack-pre-revenue-growth-mgs-talk.webp",1344,896,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/dogpack-pre-revenue-growth-mgs-talk-150x150.webp",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/dogpack-pre-revenue-growth-mgs-talk-300x200.webp",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/dogpack-pre-revenue-growth-mgs-talk-768x512.webp",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/dogpack-pre-revenue-growth-mgs-talk-1024x683.webp",1024,683,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/dogpack-pre-revenue-growth-mgs-talk.webp",1344,896,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/dogpack-pre-revenue-growth-mgs-talk.webp",1344,896,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Hitesh Dhingra","author_link":"https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/blog\/author\/hitesh\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"At MGS Canada, DogPack Co-founder Dov Punski shared how the team built a global dog community with over 1.5...","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41535"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41535\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41537"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dogpackapp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}