It seems your analysis isn't very generous. Your example would likely fail the litmus test laid out in the first paragraph on at least these points (at the very least):
- a mission that attracts talented people into the startup’s orbit
- a product so good that people spontaneously tell their friends about it
- a network effect and low marginal costs
- and a product that is either fundamentally new or 10x better than existing options.
I'm sure the wag founders are talented. I'm sure that some of wag's customers love it. I'm sure that you can argue that it has the same network effect as uber. I'm sure the founders of wag will effuse about a paradigm shift in the canine ambulatory marketplace of ideas.
- a mission that attracts talented people into the startup’s orbit
- a product so good that people spontaneously tell their friends about it
- a network effect and low marginal costs
- and a product that is either fundamentally new or 10x better than existing options.