Why This Work Exists
Originally written: 04 January 2021
For the past two years, this space has been written almost entirely by Evan — documenting the engineering journey behind MyHerculead: the systems, the testing philosophy, the long arc of invention.
This year, I’m stepping in.
Not because the work has changed — but because the story has widened.
At home, we live with a small pack of rescue animals — our fur children — each with their own history, sensitivities, energy levels, and needs. Walking them together isn’t a convenience problem. It’s a safety problem. It’s a behavioral problem. It’s a trust problem. And it’s where MyHerculead begins.
The idea doesn’t come from a whiteboard. It comes from tangled leads, sudden lunges, crossed paths, and the quiet moments when you realize existing tools weren’t designed for real life — or real animals.
At the same time, we’re building something else quietly alongside our product work: a privately funded animal sanctuary called Ruby’s Ark— a place rooted in rehabilitation, patience, and long-term care for animals who don’t fit neatly into adoption pipelines. It’s not a brand initiative. It’s a responsibility we’ve chosen. And it shapes how we think about safety, design, and stewardship every day.
Where Evan focuses on how systems behave under force, I focus on how they feel under stress — emotionally, physically, intuitively. Together, that tension shapes everything we build.
So starting now, you’ll hear more from me here — about design, animals, care, creativity, and the quieter motivations behind invention.
Same work. Same standards.
Just a wider lens.
Welcome to 2021.
— Elysia
