Why we're building a 60-second Pet Insurance Selector (and why it's taking longer than expected)

September 30, 2025 • 4 min read

If you've ever googled "best pet insurance," you know what happens next: endless comparison tables, conflicting reviews, and a lot of jargon about reimbursement percentages and pre-existing condition clauses. You just wanted a straight answer about what to buy.

That's the experience that got me thinking about this project. After spending hours researching coverage for my own dog, I realized the problem wasn't a lack of information—it was too much information presented in a way that makes it hard to actually make a decision.

The real problem isn't finding options

There are plenty of pet insurance comparison sites out there. The issue is they usually show you 10+ providers in a massive table and expect you to understand the differences between:

It's exhausting. And when you're exhausted, you either pick the cheapest option (which might not actually cover what matters) or you give up and don't buy anything at all.

What we're trying to build

The idea is simple: answer six quick questions about your dog, and we'll show you three options that actually make sense for your situation—Budget, Balanced, and Comprehensive—with plain-English explanations of the tradeoffs.

Not ten options. Not a comparison table. Just three paths forward, explained in terms of real scenarios like "this plan covers 80% of a $3,000 ER visit" instead of vague policy language.

Why it's not ready yet

Honestly? Building this the right way is harder than I expected. Here's what's taking time:

Getting the risk scoring right. We need to factor in breed-specific conditions, age-related risks, and geographic cost differences without making people answer 30 questions. Finding the balance between "accurate enough to be useful" and "fast enough that people actually complete it" is tricky.

Vetting insurance partners. We only want to recommend providers we'd actually use ourselves. That means reading the fine print, understanding their claims processes, and making sure they're available in most states. It's slow work.

Making sure the recommendations actually help. We're testing the quiz with real dog owners to see if our suggestions match what they'd pick after doing hours of research themselves. If not, we need to adjust the logic.

Where we are now

The core quiz logic is built. We're currently working with insurance partners to finalize which plans we'll recommend and making sure the pricing data stays accurate. We're aiming to launch in early 2025, but we'd rather take extra time to get it right than rush something that doesn't actually help.

If you want early access when we're ready, join the list here. You'll get the first invite plus a free Emergency Vet Cost Checklist we put together.

Why build this at all?

Because I genuinely think most people end up with either no coverage or the wrong coverage, not because they're lazy, but because the current process makes it too hard to figure out what they actually need.

If we can make that decision easier—even just for the people who would've given up otherwise—that feels worth doing.

Thanks for being patient while we figure this out.

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