Meet Pavan Bapu and Luke Wilson, co-workers who turned a viral TikTok into a dog-friendly side hustle that generated $456,000 in its first year

In the US, two co-workers turned a homemade dog feeder into a business. It later generated $15 million in lifetime revenue. Pavan Bapu and Luke Wilson started Houndsy in May 2021. Both were doing full-time jobs at that time. It began as a side project and then grew into a business that is targeting another $15 million in revenue in 2026, reported Entrepreneur.

The story behind how the idea came is very interesting. It came from a TikTok video that Wilson shared showing a dog feeder he had built himself. It got more than 15 million views and caught the attention of Bapu. They then turned the product into a business.

Strategy behind company's business

The feeder was made to make feeding dogs easier. It holds a large quantity of dry dog food. It dispenses measured portions through a lever.

The product uses gravity to move the food. It does not require wires or batteries.

Bapu and Wilson worked together but divided the work according to their strengths. Wilson used to focus on building the feeders. Meanwhile, Bapu handled sales and marketing. Hence, Houndsy was launched in 2021. They used TikTok videos to show potential customers how the product worked.

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What was the initial investment?

They spent less than $20,000 on the business, Bapu told Entrepreneur. At first, they did not spend the money on advertising. They used social media to build interest in the product.

A simple website was created where interested customers could leave email addresses. TikTok content also reportedly helped them collect around thousands of email addresses.

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How much revenue did they generate?

Houndsy generated $456,000 in revenue during its first year. According to Bapu, the revenue grew by 273% to $1.7 million in the second year. By April 2026, the company had generated $15 million in lifetime revenue over four and a half years.