From Leashes to Discounts: How Our App Revolutionized Dog Ownership

Description

LEV is a mobile app (iOS and Android) tailor-made for urban dog owners. It's an interactive map connecting pet parents with each other and helping them find dog-friendly places nearby while earning real-life rewards during their daily walks. Users can turn the rewards into discounts in partner businesses and create stronger social bonds within the community.
Technologies
Backend:Nest.js, PostgreSQL, KeyCloak, Redis
Frontend:React.js (TypeScript), Redux, Material UI
Mobile:Flutter, Firebase, Google APIs, Google Maps, Web Sockets, Mixpanel
Our role and company services
iOS & Android Development, Backend, QA, DevOps, Support

The challenge

Before coming to us, the client had already spent $200k on the project with another team, which didn't show any results. So, when the client approached us with this unique challenge, we knew we had to put our best paws forward.
The task was to create an app connecting dog owners with a community of fellow enthusiasts and providing a one-stop shop for all aspects of dog ownership. But the challenge didn't end there. We also had to cater to the needs of advertisers, boosting the online presence of brick-and-mortar businesses and improving exposure for online ventures.

Project management

Teamwork doesn't just mean our side — it's about joining forces with the client's team and stakeholders. In this project, Rocketech closely collaborated with the client who took on the role of Product Owner. Driven by startup thinking together, we organized a fully synchronized working process.

With Scrum as the main project's methodology, 2-week sprints, and our agile approach, we successfully released the very first minimum viable product already a month from the project's onset. Three months later, and through a few interim releases, we had an extensive marketable product with complex features.

The Rocketech team:

  • Business Analyst/Project Manager
  • Scrum Master
  • Backend Developer
  • Mobile (Flutter) Developer
  • Frontend Developer
  • QA
  • DevOps

The tailored approach: maximum efficiency

During this project, we reached unmatched development speed and could deliver up to eight features per sprint. It allowed us to make an early market entry while the product didn't yet have direct competitors.

To reach that velocity, we successfully implemented a tailored approach combining a well-set, experienced team, hyper-detailed planning, and pre-developed modules.

The pre-developed modules allowed us to avoid reinventing the wheel while implementing standard functionality like the authorization/registration process or basic admin panel. Following this approach, we successfully optimized available resources and significantly cut development time.

Wagging tails and boosting sales: the LEV Maps app overview

From finding the best walking paths to accessing discounts, the solution aimed to enhance the dog ownership experience while keeping furry friends safe and happy.

Functionality

Essentially, the solution connects pet parents, local businesses, and advertisers in an ultimate dog ecosystem, combining features of a social network, marketplace, and interactive gamified maps.

Authorization and dog profiles

Users create profiles for themselves, share information about their pets, and grant access to geolocation.

Live map

Users can see each other as they walk around the neighborhood in real time on the interactive live map.

Add as a friend

The app allows users to add and accept friend requests, communicate with each other in a chat, and organize dog play dates.

LEV Bones

Users collect digital bones located around the city while walking their dogs. Bones can be exchanged for exclusive offers via the LEV Marketplace or converted into LEV tokens.

Dog-friendly places

Users can add community-verified, dog-friendly businesses to the map or easily find the nearest vet clinic or dog park.

Push notifications

Users constantly stay updated with all the neighborhood changes related to dog ownership and the LEV ecosystem.

Admin panel

Pitfalls

When the client approached us with this unique challenge, we knew we had to put our best paws forward. The task was to create an app connecting dog owners with a community of fellow enthusiasts and providing a one-stop shop for all aspects of dog ownership
Another challenge was to organize the interactive map so it didn't look cluttered and was convenient for users to navigate. Dealing with hundreds of items that should be displayed, we developed a system of filtering and clustering.

They got to know the project to make a high-quality product we were happy with.

Igor Gourari
CEO, Levmaps
Admin panel

Traction

SAFE I | 1H'23
SAFE w/$6.5M Cap
$700k
App Store and Google Play app release in NYC
1K+users
10+businesses
SAFE II | 1H'23
SAFE w/$6.5M Cap
$1M
Marketing and branding in NYC
12K+users
50+businesses
SEED | 1H'24
TBD
$1.3M
Launch in select US cities and Brazil
50K+users
100+businesses
Token Pre-Sale
2H'24
$3-5M
Launch in select cities in Europe
100K+users
200+businesses
Series A | 2025
TBD
$4-7M
Launch in select cities in China
500K+users
1K+businesses

User density heatmap

Numbers

13,300+
pins on the map
15+
partner businesses
2,600+
users
$700K
total pre-seed funding amount
1.8B
transactions
∼80K
locations

Hard facts

1
pivot per month
6–8
fully tested features per sprint
4
months
from the project start to the market launch
8
months
from the project start to version 2 and the marketing campaign's official launch
Admin panel

Results

A highly interactive, full-fledged mobile app for Android and iOS with gamification elements.
A four-part solution system: the mobile app, the backend, the system admin panel, and the admin panel for businesses.
An interactive map allowing users see other pet owners in the neighborhood in real time, connect with other people, and pin dog-friendly places.
A combination of a social network and marketplace that encourages creating communities and social bonds.
Clean and easily transferable code written under the highest standards.
Scalable backend — the system is ready for dramatic growth and expected 3M users in the near future.
Multiple-language support for further scaling and pivots.

Talk to us!

Send us a message and we'll get in touch with you as soon as we can.
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