FindMe.pet: AI-Powered Pet Adoption Platform
Strategic MVP development combining AI, product thinking, and rapid execution to solve the pet adoption mismatch problem
The FindMe.pet landing page featuring Shasta, Lyor's adopted dog and inspiration for the project
The Problem: Pet Adoption is Broken
Pet adoption faces a fundamental mismatch problem that affects thousands of animals and families every year:
of adopted pets are returned to shelters due to mismatched expectations
of adopters choose pets based primarily on looks rather than compatibility
of pet owners buy from breeders instead of adopting from shelters
These aren't just statistics—they represent real animals who briefly experienced the joy of a home before being returned to a shelter cage.
Strategic Product Approach
As an experienced PM, the approach was to create an AI "match-maker" for pets and humans, focusing on lifestyle compatibility over appearance. The strategy involved rapid MVP development with strategic constraints to validate the core value proposition.
Key Strategic Decisions
Limited Animal Selection
While PetFinder API offers data on everything from dogs to chinchillas, launched with just dogs, cats, and rabbits to focus the experience and reduce complexity.
Streamlined Filtering
Implemented filtering upfront in the API call rather than allowing post-search filtering to simplify the initial user experience.
Visual Priority
Animals without photos are de-prioritized in results, recognizing that visuals drive emotional connection in adoption decisions.
Dual User Paths
Included both a "Quick Search" for direct browsing and a guided questionnaire for personalized AI recommendations.
User Experience & Product Flow
AI-Powered Recommendations
The results page highlights an AI-recommended pet with compatibility metrics
Comprehensive Pet Profiles
The pet details page provides comprehensive information to help users make informed decisions
Technical Architecture & AI Integration
Tech Stack
Key Challenges Solved
PetFinder Authentication
Implemented OAuth 2.0 via Cloudflare Worker proxy for secure API access
AI Response Parsing
Careful prompt engineering to generate structured, parseable recommendations
Performance Optimization
Implemented caching to reduce API calls and improve user experience
AI-Powered Development Process
This project showcased the power of AI-assisted development, enabling rapid prototyping and implementation by a product manager without deep technical expertise.
v0 Prototyping
Used for initial prototyping and generating layouts based on wireframes
Cursor & Windsurf
AI-powered IDEs that assisted with coding and refactoring throughout development
Claude 3.7
Advanced AI assistance for writing cleaner, more maintainable code
Development Insights
70% Rule: Getting to 70% completion was surprisingly easy with AI tools, but the final 20-30% followed the Pareto principle, taking 80% of development time.
Documentation Strategy: Having AI document its own work prevented context window exhaustion and provided crucial debugging context.
Results & Future Roadmap
Current Achievements
Functional AI-powered pet matching platform
Integrated real-time shelter data from PetFinder API
User-friendly questionnaire and quick search functionality
Deployed and accessible at findme.pet
Planned Enhancements
Enhanced user input for detailed lifestyle preferences
Multiple recommendation tiers with comparisons
Performance metrics and adoption tracking
User research and refinement based on feedback
North Star Metric
Successful adoptions—pets who find permanent homes through the platform
Short-term tracking: engagement metrics like clicks on 'Adopt' button to measure interest
Key Product & Technical Learnings
Strategic Constraints Enable Speed
Focused constraints like limiting to three animal types enabled faster delivery and clearer user testing.
AI as Product Enhancement
AI can both enhance development process and deliver unique user value when strategically implemented.
Personal Passion Drives Quality
Authentic foundation from personal experience with pet adoption created genuine product-market understanding.
Start with Core Value
Prioritizing the primary user need (finding compatible pets) before adding nice-to-have features.
Modern Tools Enable Builders
AI tools are enabling PMs to directly build products without deep technical expertise.
Document AI's Work
Having AI document its own code and reasoning saves time and provides crucial context for debugging.
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