This interview is with Joshua Fidrmuc, Chief Executive Officer at Dial A Vet.
Joshua Fidrmuc, Chief Executive Officer, Dial A Vet
Can you tell us about your journey from working at Deloitte to founding Dial A Vet? What inspired you to make this leap into entrepreneurship?
Whilst working at Deloitte, I faced complex problems that needed to be solved daily. When my best friend rang me worried, asking for advice on what he should do with his ill dog, I was surprised pet owners were unable to access fast and reliable veterinary care in minutes. Just like on-demand doctors for human health, there was a lack of support for pet owners. After finding out my friend paid $300 for an emergency vet consultation and just to be told that he needed to change his dog’s diet, I got straight onto starting Dial A Vet.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in the early days of launching Dial AVet, and how did you overcome them?
All startups will face issues one way or another. Dial A Vet had to have a solution that was easy to use and provided almost immediate value. Dial A Vet faced issues early on with the user experience; we found that pet owners were wanting immediate care but didn’t need for it to be instant. We initially built an almost-instant service where pet owners would download the Dial A Vet app and then be connected to an online vet in seconds. This caused lots of issues, from not having the availability of the vets to tech issues. We decided that, based on data, most of the pet owners’ concerns were not emergencies, and we could build a web platform that allowed pet owners to book a vet consultation within 5 minutes. This gave our vets more notice and provided a seamless experience for the pet owner.
You mentioned that Dial A Vet has brought in over $30,000 per month. Can you walk us through your strategy for achieving this level of success in such a short time?
Dial-A-Vet’s strategy for acquiring users is aimed at how pet owners actually attempt to find this advice. We found that pet owners were Googling their pets’ symptoms and were making their own educated decisions based on this web information. We focused on ranking highly on Google to be there when pet owners were researching their concerns. We convert, on average, 33% of pet owners reading our informational blogs to an online vet consultation.
As someone who’s transitioned from a corporate environment to running a startup, what key lessons from your time at Deloitte have proven most valuable in your entrepreneurial journey?
Network, network, and network. I don’t mean attending expos, spamming people on LinkedIn, or sending cold emails. I mean building strong relationships with other companies in your industry. Deloitte is great at stakeholder management and execution. These skills taught me to be able to provide value to other companies in the pet industry and, in return, gain mutual benefit for each other.
Dial A Vet was born during the pandemic. How did you identify this market need, and what advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs about spotting and validating business opportunities?
A quick trick I use to identify strong business ideas is looking at industries that are relatively behind the times. Think veterinary care, trades, waste management, etc. Can these industries be improved with a tech solution? You need to be an industry expert or look like one to get validated feedback from other experts in the field of your business idea. Add value to them first, pitch your idea, get constructive feedback, and then proceed.
You’ve managed to build a substantial user base of over 55,000 pet owners. What specific marketing or growth hacking strategies have been most effective for Dial A Vet?
SEO, SEO and SEO. Optimizing Dial-A-Vet to have a strong Google presence was a priority from early on. We spent a significant amount of time on our niche blog articles (example: can dogs eat Big Macs?) to help pet owners solve their issue in that moment. This led to higher conversion to booked vet consultations and a greater experience for the pet owner.
In your experience, what are the most critical factors for a startup’s success in the pet care industry? How do you stay ahead of the competition?
The most critical factor is being trustworthy. A lot of brands lack the trust element of their business and lose any connection with their pet owners. We want all pet owners to feel heard, supported, and loved; we do this by giving a five-star-plus experience through our online consultations. Data told us that our pet owners who had a longer conversation with the vet (10-15 minutes) had a greater experience than those who resolved their concern in a few minutes.
As a founder, how do you approach work-life balance, especially given the demanding nature of running a startup? Do you have any personal strategies for managing stress and maintaining productivity?
Managing a startup and your personal life need to be in harmony. Set clear boundaries on when your startup needs attention and dedicate time in your personal life to fostering relationships and your own personal well-being. A strategy I implemented with my fiancé was to have clear productive hours during which I would work on my startup and then dedicated hours we would spend together.
Looking ahead, what’s your vision for the future of Dial A Vet and the broader pet care industry? Are there any emerging trends or technologies you’re particularly excited about?
Dial-A-Vet’s vision is to support pet owners in their pets’ lives across the globe. We want to be the go-to source for information related to pet health. The incorporation of AI (Artificial Intelligence) is something we have been working on for the past few months and are eager to see how this can shape a faster, more informed customer experience. But we will keep that hush for now.