This project report examines the story of my experience taking an Internet company---DirectPet.com---from initial conception to conclusion of the venture over a four-year period from 1997--2001, during the height of the dot.com boom in Silicon Valley. The mission of DirectPet was to transform the pet industry by simplifying the distribution process between manufacturers, distributors, and consumers through use of the Internet. This report summarizes the history of the enterprise, chronicling the major activities that I undertook to establish it; analyzes the business and societal factors that led to its demise, including my struggles to maintain my original vision for the venture in the face of hyperoptimistic financial expectations in the pet-related industry; and concludes with reflections about five key lessons that I learned from this experience, including what I plan on doing differently in future start-up ventures.
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