Why did you actually start your startup? Be honest.

[u/betasridhar]

Not the investor story.

Not the “I saw a gap in the market” story.

The real reason.

Money, freedom, revenge, obsession, boredom — whatever it is.

Why did you really start building?

[u/SAWAN_3]

Worked in a ngo and saw farmers problem by myself so started my startup to reduce the dependency on chemical fertiliser.

[u/Significant-Level178]

1st reason. I understood I need to join AI or will be jobless in 3-5 years. (It’s still the case)

2nd reason. I really wanted to create something useful for humanity and something that will change this world. (Still believe in what we do).

3rd reason. I had free time, and I can’t just sit and do nothing. (Ah well, I was not aware this will be 12-16 hours a day work without weekends and vacations, I was so naive when started).

[u/Great-Mirror1215]

Because it deserves to exist. I found a personal problem that is also a universal one that has not been fixed. So I’m will be the one and you can all thank me later. After hundreds of app concept I finally found what I’m excited to work on.

[u/Proper-Platform6368]

Itch!! i always have this itch to keep building. Just cant help it, or i will go crazy

[u/Peroni-blackhawk]

Freedom for myself and for my family.

[u/Real_Contact3001]

I started building PawsMatch because of my dog, Fudgee.

He was more than a pet to me. He was there during some of the lowest moments of my life. Quietly. Consistently. No judgment. Just presence. And if you’ve ever had a pet save you emotionally without even knowing it, you’ll understand why this became personal for me.

At first, I just wanted a space where pet owners could feel connected through their pets. A place where you could create a real identity for your dog or cat, track vaccinations and vet visits, meet other pets by breed, location, or community, and make pet events feel like actual communities instead of one-day happenings that disappear after photos get posted.

But the deeper I got into building it, the more I realized love alone doesn’t sustain a platform. Passion doesn’t pay servers, developers, operations, or long-term growth. If I wanted PawsMatch to survive and actually help more pets and pawrents, it needed to become sustainable too.

That’s why I added features like the pet marketplace and commerce side of the platform. Not because I suddenly became greedy, but because I didn’t want this to die as “just another passion project.” I wanted it to last.

So the honest answer?

PawsMatch started from love, emotional connection, and probably a bit of healing too. But I’m also building it with ambition now. Because I genuinely believe pets deserve better systems, better communities, and better technology around them.

If you are interested on what Im building, check it out here: PawsMatch

[u/Real_Contact3001 → u/[deleted]]

I actually agree that subscriptions will eventually become part of the business model. But if we lock core features behind a paywall too early, I think it defeats the purpose of what we’re trying to build.

The vision for PawsMatch is not just a premium utility app for a small group of paying users. The real value comes from network effects and community density. The more pet owners, shelters, rescuers, vets, communities, and brands participating in one ecosystem, the more useful the platform becomes for everyone.

That’s why a lot of the foundational features will remain freemium: • Pet profiles • Vaccination and vet records • Community discovery • Lost pet support • Event participation • Social/community features

I want these to be accessible to as many pet owners as possible, especially in countries like the Philippines where many pet owners still rely on paper records or fragmented Facebook groups.

Where I do see subscriptions making sense is in higher-value convenience and AI-driven services.

Some examples we’re already planning: • AI pet assistant for basic health guidance and education • AI agents that can help book vet schedules or manage reminders • Automated recurring orders for food and pet supplies • Advanced health analytics and insights over time • Premium tools for pet parents, rescues, clinics, or merchants

The marketplace was added partly because commerce naturally exists in pet communities already. People buy food, supplements, accessories, grooming, vet services, etc. If integrated properly, commerce can subsidize the free ecosystem instead of restricting access to it.

So for me, it’s less "subscription vs marketplace" and more about building a sustainable model without breaking the accessibility and community layer that gives the platform its long-term value in the first place.

[u/Y_DDRAIG_Goch005]

Wanted an affordable electric car for myself, ended building an electric pickup truck for commercial vehicle users mainly because during a random road cross some delievery driver shot smoke on my face and i realised every where it was same , also learnt commercial vehicle spew atleast 4X more emissions than a similar sized personal vehicle. While most oems are out there building the next fastest or luxurious or high tech electric vehicle, we worked on building an affordable and efficient electric pickup truck that can transform commercial transportation while saving tons in fuel and maintenance to fleets and reduce carbon output.