I came across a recruitment site that has a listing for a position with THS [/removed/].
TrustedHousesitters is a rapidly expanding, direct-to-consumer marketplace reshaping the sector of pet care and travel. With an ambitious plan to become the preferred travel solution for pet owners globally, TrustedHousesitters has developed a robust platform that enables pet owners and carers to connect, thereby ensuring pets’ welfare while their owners travel. Currently, TrustedHousesitters boasts members in over 140 countries and aims to grow its community to 1 million members
(Edited to align with the Terms of Service)
140 countries huh? Id like to see a breakdown of that.
The one million goal has been a thing for a long time. I had lunch with one of THS’s execs two years ago and they mentioned that.
Has it been in the public domain? Was it something that was mentioned when Mayfair’s investment in THS was announced? I’m not at all surprised, it’s a case of growth above everything and at any cost.
Don’t know. I would imagine so, if they were sharing it randomly with me, without my ever asking.
Usually, companies sync up on what can or can’t be made public by employees (especially execs), and how they’ll frame things, to avoid conflicts or going off message or divulging private info. That includes what they’ll advertise in job ads and how they’ll speak to candidates and how they’ll answer their Qs. But I don’t know about THS specifically.
Yeah I know about how execs have to be on message, but sometimes people let slip something that shouldn’t have been shared. The number makes sense and they almost certainly have a timeframe, perhaps 10 years, for reaching one million. The bleed of existing members, for whatever reason, is probably so small that it’s not the slightest concern to THS. I wonder how THS would have fared if they had gone on to a show like Dragons Den looking for investment. I think the US equivalent is or was Shark Tank.
Companies can set whatever goals they like, realistic or not. And sometimes they do it cynically, to pander to (potential) investors. Or because they’re ambitious or delusional.
The challenge with startups and other businesses in (relatively) unproven spaces is, there’s no real analog or other valid test of reality until they succeed or fail. Like who knows whether it’s realistic whether there are enough potential good sitters, because many people are actually unfit (or don’t want to) sit others’ pets and homes well. And turnover of members is hard to estimate, because if you base it off say the first X years, that might not work if you essentially “run out” of a certain type of member. Versions of such problems exist for most startups, which is why they can be challenging and fun to work for or with, like say as an adviser.
To me, it’s interesting, regardless of whether I’m a member, because it’s a newish model and we’ll see whether it can scale. Anyone who says it definitely can or can’t is blowing smoke, because startups by their nature invent as they go. Otherwise, they’d be regular traditional businesses.
BTW, Shark Tank is more of an entertainment thing than real business. Venture capitalists or private equity folks tend to have a higher bar for investments.
It’s an amusing thought that’s all, not to be taken seriously.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who spat out their coffee when they read “THS has developed a robust platform…”
@Debbie Maybe it was a misprint and was supposed to be bust (as in broken) platform? 
Love the term “talent team”
I thought size didn’t matter..the impact over inches sort of thing 
Quality, not quantity (but quantity increases profits regardless).
I suspect that within THS the # primary focus and objective is to reach 1,000,000 members and not much else matters. If and when that number is reached Mayfair the PE investor will sell THS and move on.