Little Chonk / The Maxine Dog Backpack

Key numbers

The product

The Maxine is a structured, front-facing backpack that carries small dogs (up to ~20 lbs) on a owner's back while keeping the dog and wearer's spines aligned. It solves a real urban problem: NYC transit rules require dogs to be in carriers, and Reisberg found every existing carrier flimsy and poorly designed. The bag uses a rigid frame, plush interior guard, dual auto-locking zippers, weatherproof shell, tear-resistant lining and mesh ventilation. It retails around $250-300 direct-to-consumer through the brand's website, later adding refurbished units and larger-dog model Brodie One. Unlike generic pet carriers, it was designed by someone who carried his dog twice a day for six years, tested with real pet parents, and validated by its own audience before launch.

How they did it

Bryan Reisberg adopted his corgi Maxine in 2015; her Instagram @madmaxfluffyroad grew to over 6 million followers. Frustrated by poor dog carriers on the NYC subway, he spent two years designing The Maxine with co-founder Scott Dunn, teasing it to their built-in audience. They launched on December 15, 2021 (Maxine's sixth birthday) and sold out in four minutes. Nine months later revenue passed seven figures, with constant stockouts. The brand has since expanded into leashes, a dog water bottle (which raised ~$98K in its first week on crowdfunding) and supplements, riding free organic distribution from its creator community.

Why it worked

• Built-in audience of 6M+ followers gave free, zero-party-data distribution and instant sellouts
• Founder solved a genuine personal problem (subway-legal dog carrying) and it showed in the design
• Premium quality earned third-party validation: best dog backpack from Wired, Good Housekeeping and The Dodo
• Creator-led brand storytelling (the dog IS the brand) drives word-of-mouth at near-zero acquisition cost