Week 8, Semester 1: Mentor Speed-Dating

We had the privilege of meeting with several accomplished mentors during a structured "speed networking" session. This dynamic format allowed us to present our app concept, receive invaluable insights, and engage in meaningful discussions about its potential.

Our mentors included:

Noa Green – Product Manager at Meta

Anat Benjamin – Product Manager at Wix

Ron Leder – Product Marketing Manager at Payoneer

Avi Inbar – Entrepreneur and Branding/Marketing Manager at Brainwash

Each of them brought unique perspectives from their respective fields, helping us see our project through different lenses. After gathering feedback from these insightful conversations, we carefully analyzed the input and used it to refine our process for crafting the app's user scenarios.

This experience was both inspiring and incredibly productive, leaving us more confident in our direction and eager to implement the mentors' valuable suggestions as we move forward.

During the week we meet with our seminar advisor, during which we presented our mind maps. These maps explored two key areas: the signals dogs use to communicate and the mutual benefits of the human-dog relationship—both for the owner and the dog.

Our advisor emphasized the importance of identifying specific canine signals that could be effectively integrated into the app, enabling owners to better understand their dogs' emotions, needs, and behaviors. At the same time, she encouraged us to highlight how these insights can enhance the relationship, showing how humans benefit emotionally, socially, and even physically from a deeper connection with their dogs, while dogs gain a greater sense of security, understanding, and wellbeing.