18 — Risks
Risk Register
This page answersWhat could prevent this from working, and what reduces each risk?
| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google / Yelp competition | High | High | Own structured pet-access attributes and verification that general directories do not maintain. |
| BringFido incumbency | High | Medium | Compete on pet identity, services and transactions rather than travel listings alone. |
| Low-frequency use | Medium | High | Daily-use surfaces: walks, parks, reminders, health, food reordering. |
| Data accuracy | Medium | High | Evidence-based verification, last-verified timestamps, merchant self-attestation. |
| Merchant adoption | Medium | High | Free claim tier, demonstrated lead volume before paid conversion. |
| User acquisition cost | Medium | High | Metro-by-metro density strategy; organic/SEO and partner distribution. |
| Marketplace liquidity | Medium | High | Sequenced launch; supply seeded before demand marketing. |
| State regulation | Medium | Medium | State-by-state compliance review before service categories launch. |
| Insurance regulation | High | High | Licensed agency partner or referral-only model with specialist U.S. counsel. |
| Privacy (CCPA/CPRA and state laws) | High | Medium | Consent architecture, data minimisation, state privacy compliance programme. |
| Reviews and defamation exposure | Medium | Medium | Moderation policy, notice-and-takedown, Section 230 posture review. |
| Liability from pet incidents | Medium | High | Terms of service, insurance cover, no representation of venue safety. |
| API dependency | Medium | Medium | Abstraction layer; multi-provider fallbacks. |
| Mapping dependency | Medium | High | Provider-neutral geospatial layer; own place IDs. |
| Platform (app store) dependency | Low | Medium | Web parity product. |
| Trademark availability in U.S. | Medium | High | Clearance search and USPTO filings before U.S. launch. |
| IP protection | Medium | Medium | Trade secret discipline; assess patentability of verification and orchestration methods. |
| Execution capacity | Medium | High | U.S. operating partner or licensee with local go-to-market capability. |
| Capital sufficiency | Medium | High | Phase-gated funding tied to pilot KPI achievement. |
Investor implication
Nothing on this list is disqualifying, but insurance regulation, data accuracy and merchant adoption are the three that determine whether the model scales. Each is addressed in the phase-one pilot before national capital is committed.