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Chewy Pet Parent Companion Design

Product Design · beginner

As a Product Manager at Chewy, you've identified a significant unmet need among first-time pet owners who struggle with the overwhelming initial months of bringing a new pet home. How would you design a brand-new digital product or feature to support them, focusing on increasing their confidence and pet retention?

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Yuxin’s approach

I would design a “New Pet Onboarding Companion” within Chewy—a guided, personalized digital experience that supports first-time pet owners through their first 90 days.

First, I’d identify the core problem: new pet owners feel overwhelmed and uncertain, which can lead to poor care decisions or even pet return. So the goal is to increase confidence and reduce friction during this critical period.

The product would have three main components:

Personalized onboarding plan When a user registers a new pet, we generate a step-by-step care plan based on pet type, age, and lifestyle—covering feeding, training, vet visits, and daily routines. Just-in-time guidance + AI support Instead of overwhelming users with content, we deliver bite-sized, time-based tips and allow users to ask questions through an AI assistant for real-time help. Progress tracking + behavioral nudges Users can track milestones (e.g., vaccination, training progress), and we use reminders and positive reinforcement to build confidence and consistency.

From a business perspective, this also creates opportunities to integrate product recommendations (food, toys, health products) in a contextual and helpful way.

Success metrics would include user engagement, retention of new pet owners, and reduction in pet returns or churn.