Good morning!
Here we are. Somewhat close to day 1 in a new company. Two guys who still barely know each other but united by a shared belief that:
- Dogs are the best.
- What we feed them is compromised by cheap ingredients and outdated business models.
- It’s ridiculously hard for owners to tell what is actually healthy for your dog.
- We didn’t trust most of the industry whose ‘self-governance’ has led to recent recalls (only after it hit the press) and deceptive marketing rules (hence, confusion).
- We could do something far better.
So, a brisk Thursday morning in Melbourne. Mike and Doug, working on Scratch. Jobs quit, holidays finished, money invested. We’re in, and we’ve been working on this since early in the year.
The business model –> Take out the retail markup (up to 80%). Spend it on better ingredients and free shipping. Sell it on subscription so we know when your dog will be eating it and can time our cooking to send you the first fresh dry dog food. And be transparent the whole way.
Why us? Why not. Mike has been in eCommerce & brand, and Doug has been managing operations for a pet food company for the past 6 years. The right mix of knowing the ins and outs, and perspective to see a better way.
I’d say we’re two months away from launch. Right now our weeks look like:
- Recipes. High-protein, grain-free, tons of veggies. All givens. Right now it’s in the detail like what oils we use and whether we can source enough Sweet Potato. Droughts are frustrating.
- Negotiation. Manufacturers don’t like things to be different, but better requires some inefficiency and vision.
- Packaging. Looks great. Keeps smells in. Easy to scoop out of, and low environmental impact.
- Community & marketing. Existing brands are faceless and boring. We want to bring the fun out in owning a dog.
- Responsibility. We’re big believers in shared benefit. Us, you, your dog, the environment, society around us. We’re setting the company up to be a B-Corp like brands we admire such as Bellroy and Patagonia.
Thats Scratch at its simplest. You’re one of the first hundred to sign up to what we’ve got cooking. Every fortnight I’ll share a few words on how Scratch is coming along and the ingredients that make up our food and company. Day to day, let’s get to know each other on Facebook .
Thanks for being part of this fresh change 🙂
– Mike & Doug