"MakeMyDeal enables dealers and consumers to build meaningful business relationships and come together on the terms of the deal online. And it does that all while alleviating some of shoppers’ top frustrations and giving them an online experience that they prefer.”
Biz/Org
AutoTrader / Cox Automotive
Year
2014-2015
Automotive
Agile & Scrum Practices
Product Overview
MakeMyDeal created a way for car buyers to negotiate online before visiting the dealership. I led agile teams through the development of its private negotiation toolset.
Managed three cross-functional scrum teams (each with design, dev, and QA).
Translated offline negotiation dynamics into digital components.
Aligned feature priorities across sales, F&I, and legal stakeholders.
Built menuing flows for trade-ins, warranties, and financing add-ons.
Balanced trust-building UX with regulatory compliance.
Product Goals
How might we make digital car buying less intimidating - for both sides?
Buyers wanted transparency. Dealers needed control. MakeMyDeal was the bridge: built for nuanced pricing conversations and compliant workflows.
Empower buyers to make confident, private offers.
Enable dealers to accept, counter, or upsell effectively.
Ensure compliance across financial and legal products.
Reduce showroom pressure by starting deals online.
Challenges
Complex F&I logic varied across dealerships.
Had to model negotiation history without confusion.
Integrated with legacy dealer systems and CRMs.
Different expectations from buyer vs. seller sides.
Solutions
Created structured offer/counteroffer messaging with guardrails.
Developed summary views of deal progress and next steps.
Built logic for smart upsells based on deal type and buyer behavior.
Tested UI with real buyers and dealership staff.
Outcome & Impact
Enabled low-pressure negotiation workflows pre-visit.
Supported dealers in customizing offers at scale.
Improved customer satisfaction in pilot dealerships.
Informed AutoTrader’s future digital retail strategy.
