4. Expanded Feature Catalog (What Boarders and Inspectors Ask For)

Date: 30 Sept 2026

Being in demand doesn't mean you should build it. Each feature is classified with the same honesty as 03.

Legend: TS = Table stakes, D = Differentiator, X = Distraction, L = Liability. Priority: P0 = v1 of the recommended wedge, P1 = next, P2 = later, — = don't build.

"Demand signal" says where the need comes from: Licence (a condition in the statutory guidance, see research/10), Competitors (features every rival lists), or Assumed (to be tested in the 15 calls).

4.1 Licence records (the core, so lean in)

Feature	Demand signal	Category	Priority	Notes
Register mapped to condition 9.1 / 17.1 (a)–(l), with a "missing fields" view per dog	Licence	D	P0	The inspector's checklist, made visible.
Vaccine gate: parvovirus, distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis current; primary course ≥2 weeks before arrival; optional kennel cough rule per business; titre-test certificate option	Licence	D	P0	Blocks confirmation, not just warns. Boarder confirms each date.
Time-stamped daily welfare log: feed and water, faeces and urine, exercise, behaviour change, signs of illness or injury; locked after 24 hours, with amendments shown as amendments	Licence	D	P0	Under 10 seconds per dog on a phone, or it won't be used.
Medication book: what, dose, time, given by, vet instruction	Licence	D	P0	Records only, never dose suggestions.
Incident and injury book, linked to the dog and the day	Licence	D	P0	Feeds the inspection pack and the owner notification.
One-click inspection pack (PDF + CSV) for a date range	Licence	D	P0	The product.
3-year retention and automatic backups, with an export the boarder owns	Licence	TS	P0	"Electronic records must be backed up." Also a trust feature.
Licence details: number, star rating, expiry, licensed maximum dogs, conditions; licence number shown on the booking page	Licence	TS	P0	Condition 1.2 requires the licence number on any website.
Staff training records and induction checklist	Licence	D	P1	More important for day cares than solo home boarders.
Emergency plan, key holder (≤30 min) and vet registration page	Licence	TS	P1	A template the boarder fills once and reviews yearly.
Renewal countdown and "unannounced visit ready" score	Assumed	D	P1	Score = share of required records complete for the last 90 days. Never call it a star prediction.
Daily enrichment plan (a required higher standard for kennels)	Licence (higher standards)	D	P2	Relevant to 4–5-star kennels; check the home-boarding equivalent.
Euthanasia and death records with vet identity	Licence	TS	P2	Rare but required.
Council-specific application form pre-fill	Assumed	D / X	P2	Every council's form differs. Only if pilots ask repeatedly.

4.2 Bookings and owners

Feature	Demand signal	Category	Priority	Notes
Booking calendar with licence-limit capacity check	Competitors	TS	P1	Prevents boarding over the licensed number.
Online booking and owner intake form that fills the register fields	Competitors	TS → D	P1	The register fills itself from the owner's form.
Consent forms signed online (register field (j))	Licence	D	P1	Stored against the dog, exported in the pack.
Deposits and invoices via Stripe Connect (opt-in, ≤1% platform fee)	Competitors	TS / D	P1 (month 9)	Stripe holds the funds. Never hold funds yourself.
Photo updates and "report cards" to owners	Competitors	TS	P2	Owners love it; it helps referrals. Not a reason to buy.
SMS and email reminders (vaccines due, booking confirmations)	Competitors	TS	P1	Cap SMS per plan.
Owner app	Competitors	X	—	A mobile web link is enough.
Loyalty, packages and memberships	Competitors	X	—	Day-care multi-day packs only, if day cares ask.

4.3 Business and money

Feature	Demand signal	Category	Priority	Notes
Revenue and occupancy summary	Competitors	TS	P2	Simple monthly view.
Export to Xero or QuickBooks	Competitors	TS	P2	CSV first.
Retail POS, stock	Competitors	X	—	Facilities, not home boarders.
Staff rota and payroll	Competitors	X	—	Day cares use other tools.
Marketing campaigns and review requests	Competitors	X	—	Not the job.

4.4 Migration and integrations

Feature	Demand signal	Category	Priority	Notes
Spreadsheet import into the register	Assumed	D	P0	Most home boarders start from a spreadsheet or paper.
Import from KennelBooker, Revelation Pets and Gingr exports	Assumed	D	P1	Also enables the fallback pivot: an inspection-pack add-on for their users.
AI pre-fill from a photo of a vaccine card	Assumed	D / L	P2	Pre-fill only. The boarder confirms each date. Cap usage.
Public API	—	X	—	Nobody in this buyer group will use it.

4.5 Things to leave out entirely

Feature	Why
"Compliance score" presented as a predicted star rating	The council decides. A wrong prediction is a trust and refund problem (see AVOID #4).
Veterinary or medication guidance	Liability. Record what the vet said.
Kennel run maps and occupancy boards	Facility software; wrong buyer.
Grooming, training and walking modules	Different businesses, no licence pack.
US vaccine rules, US state licensing	A different rulebook and a Gingr-dominated market.

4.6 Net effect

Of about 35 features, about 12 are real differentiators, and 9 belong in v1, nearly all of them from the licence conditions. The licence text is your product spec. Everything else is table stakes to add slowly, or other companies' products.