Puppy Power Play How Zigzag scales science-led puppy coaching

No one was helping new puppy owners - until Zigzag. Founders Patrick Luke and Lorna Winter turned sleepless nights, chewed shoes, and early-stage chaos into a digital coaching platform that quickly proved it could scale. With science-led guidance, personalised content, and a subscription model that outperforms industry norms, Zigzag now supports owners in over 50 countries - turning puppy problems into a global business success story.

What was the gap in the market that inspired Zigzag - and how did you validate that puppy coaching could scale as a digital product?
Patrick: When we launched Zigzag, there were dozens of digital tools to help parents through early childhood, but nothing equivalent for new puppy owners. The early days of puppyhood are just as chaotic, with sleepless nights, crying, accidents, and moments of real doubt. Most people adore their dogs, but many are unprepared for the emotional and behavioural challenges that come with those first few months.
Lorna: We saw an opportunity to build a science-led digital product that could genuinely change that, helping owners feel confident, supported and in control. Our idea was validated quickly, as our early data showed subscription rates four times the category average and incredible engagement from users who told us the app was changing their lives. That was our signal that this wasn't just a useful product, it was a movement waiting to happen.

At what point did Zigzag shift from a useful app to a high-growth company - and what changed operationally?
Patrick: The turning point came when we realised we had something truly scalable, not just in terms of product-market fit, but operational design. Being centrally located, we realised we could scale across the world with limited additional overhead, especially if we focused at first on English-speaking markets. Operationally, this meant making some local adaptations where needed, but almost the entire operation comes from a central trunk of code and is deployed across markets. That's what's enabled us to move from a UK success story to a global brand with users in over 50 countries.

What's one decision you made in the past 12 months that directly contributed to your 264% revenue growth?
Lorna: One of the most important decisions we made was around transparency. We introduced a clearer explanation of how our free trial works, including when they will be given notice of when 2 days are left, and therefore, when specifically they will start being charged. When people know exactly what to expect, they're far more likely to stick with the journey. We've always followed industry norms, but adding in extra clarity has helped build trust and understanding, which we believe has led to better conversion rates

As the company scales, how are you evolving your roles—and what are you learning to let go of?
Patrick: As we enter more and more markets, the one key area I see myself becoming a bottleneck in is managing relationships with partners. As founders, business development has been a key part of the role, as has partnerships from a user acquisition perspective. As we scale, I have less time for this; however, with a strong team in place, I've seen them step up and take the lead in key relationships.

Lorna: It's always a challenge to know when to step back and hand things over, and I've faced this several times while building the business. Initially, I handled all the instant chat responses, but as demand increased, we brought in our highly qualified team of puppy coaches. The same happened with content creation, as we personalised the app and added hundreds of breeds, it became impossible for me to manage alone. Most recently, I transitioned our customer service function, which I had been running myself, to a dedicated support team. As the business scales, the balance naturally shifts from being hands-on as a co-founder to focusing more on strategy, and finding that balance can be a delicate but necessary part of growth

What's one thing you wish you'd known earlier about building in a niche, mission-driven space - and what would you tell a founder starting out today?
Patrick: Scale further and faster once you've found your formula. When you're solving a clear pain point, as we are for new puppy owners, the fundamentals of human behaviour don't change by geography. The same message that resonates in the UK, for example, 'I just want my puppy to stop barking', works equally well in the US, Canada or Australia. That realisation allowed us to scale performance campaigns across markets efficiently. We learned that in niche categories, it's often smarter to go broad early, reaching low penetration across multiple geographies, rather than saturating a single market. Once you push too deep on narrow audiences, platforms like Meta and Google quickly become inefficient and expensive. By spreading smartly and keeping creative consistency, you can build a truly global presence in a cost-effective way.
Lorna: One thing I wish I'd known earlier about building in a niche, mission-driven space is that mission alone doesn't align people, focus does. When you're building something purpose-led, especially around animal welfare, it's tempting to try to solve everything at once. But real traction only happens when you get very specific about the one problem you're here to solve first. With Zigzag, we always had a clear purpose: To create a world free from the unnecessary abandonment or destruction of dogs due to behavioural issues - delivered through positive, fun & reward-based training. But the breakthrough came when we narrowed that down to a very specific moment of need, helping new puppy owners during the most critical stage of behavioural development. By focusing there first, we built trust, gathered real outcomes early, and created a foundation we could scale from.

If I were advising a founder starting today, I'd say:

• Start with purpose, but win with precision.
• Solve one problem brilliantly before expanding your mission.
• Guard your values early - your credibility is your greatest asset in a mission-driven space.

In short: fall in love with the mission - but build around the problem.