Furrend Year 1

2023 was a good year. From the jubilation of our official launch in May to the warm welcome of our first testers, participating in the Cronos Accelerator program, integrating Livepeer, unveiling our iOS beta app in August, and collaborating with Coinbase's Base and Chainlink, each step has taken us in the right direction, creating a space for pet lovers.

With almost 900 heartwarming animal videos shared on Furrend, we've not only built a platform but a vibrant community. Now, people can earn Pawer and collect video NFTs on both Base and Cronos. Our recent charity event, Paws for Furrends, surpassed expectations, raising over $5k in just 10 days, with the participation of more than 450 individuals collecting video NFTs and contributing to NGOs. To everyone who supported us – our heartfelt thanks.

As we close the chapter on 2023, I'd like to share some valuable insights, including the inevitable missteps encountered during the process of building Furrend, in the hope that it might guide others in their own ventures.

• Be Hands-On: In the early stages, with limited resources, being hands-on is crucial. Instead of immediately opting for professionals, roll up your sleeves, ship the product quickly, and get it into the hands of your users. Building a consumer social app requires a lean team – perhaps 3-4 individuals, consisting of two developers and one or two multifaceted talents handling design, growth, and customer acquisition.

• Stay Focused: It's tempting to continually refine and redesign, especially for those of us passionate about the products we create. However, it's vital to ask, "Will this enhance customer acquisition? Will it meaningfully impact our metrics?" Don't let your pride hinder prioritizing what's truly beneficial for your business and customers.

• The Hiring Conundrum: Hiring is more than a cliché piece of startup advice; it's a fundamental truth. A wrong fit can be detrimental. We've had to part ways with a few individuals – not because they were inherently bad, but because the alignment with the product, culture, or the company's current stage wasn't right. Recognizing and rectifying this sooner is a lesson learned.

As we bid farewell to 2023, I look forward to the continued growth of Furrend in 2024.

As always, if you have any feature requests, shoot me an email at [email protected].

See you in the next chapter!