Automotive Software Startup

[ezekiel.burkley1]

I have a concept for an idea that has a high chance of actually working well. Now here is my problem. I need to obtain large amounts of gatekeeped information from auto manufacturers. What is the best way to make my way up the chain and get my message to the right people in order to make it reality. So far it has been difficult to find individuals at their corporate offices in order to even get my foot in the door. And I am wondering if I should start the company legally in order to look as official as possible. Any advice is appreciated big or small.

 

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[Paul David]

I have a concept for an idea that has a high chance of actually working well. Now here is my problem. I need to obtain large amounts of gatekeeped information from auto manufacturers. What is the best way to make my way up the chain and get my message to the right people in order to make it reality. So far it has been difficult to find individuals at their corporate offices in order to even get my foot in the door. And I am wondering if I should start the company legally in order to look as official as possible. Any advice is appreciated big or small.

Where do these people hang out? Linkedin? Trade shows? Facebook groups?

 

[ezekiel.burkley1]

Where do these people hang out? Linkedin? Trade shows? Facebook groups?

I'll start looking into that. I think in order to obtain the info I will have to find them there but may have to call my way up the chain but numbers aren't posted. I appreciate your imput

 

[Scalr]

Are you talking about car manufacturers or their suppliers (Tier 1, 2...?)
What's in it for them? What's the pitch? Maybe we can help with that.

If you need data directly from vehicles, maybe talk to customers (that buy commercial vehicles) there might be ways to get data through them since technically they own the data that their cars generate. (Assuming it is vehicle data you want).

Automotive software will see insane growth over the next years but yes, OEMs slowly realize that they need to gatekeep the data somehow. It becomes insanely valuable for them (if they only knew how to monetize). Which they will figure out but can't always unlock budget to get funding to do so and would love some help on the SW side.

Lots of green fields in this industry to make a buck . Good luck!

 

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[ezekiel.burkley1]

Are you talking about car manufacturers or their suppliers (Tier 1, 2...?)
What's in it for them? What's the pitch? Maybe we can help with that.

If you need data directly from vehicles, maybe talk to customers (that buy commercial vehicles) there might be ways to get data through them since technically they own the data that their cars generate. (Assuming it is vehicle data you want).

Automotive software will see insane growth over the next years but yes, OEMs slowly realize that they need to gatekeep the data somehow. It becomes insanely valuable for them (if they only knew how to monetize). Which they will figure out but can't always unlock budget to get funding to do so and would love some help on the SW side.

Lots of green fields in this industry to make a buck . Good luck!

Thanks man. It's a perfect idea and my concept will dramatically change lives for individuals. It would make mine a cake walk compared to my current situation I have to deal with. I need the information directly from the manufacturers and I think the only thing I can offer them is money. I will try to think of a way that I can change that but I'm going to have to convince them to give me that info and I'll have to pay significantly. But later down the line I have an idea under the project that I will have to fight with them for. But for now I need the info and I need to play by their rules til it's large enough to take the hard road to make the publics life easier. Just a large shark to take on but the barrier of entry is high. I can do it I just need advice from anyone who has a clue of how to get in touch with the manufacturers that can sell me their information. Thank you guys

 

[ezekiel.burkley1]

The information I need to start is all service information and repair instructions that are only offered to auto technicians through a gatekept service. These services are ripe with overcapitalism. However I need to find a way to talk to individual auto manufacturers in order to get all their repair and diagnostic data from the factory. I am starting by selecting a niche market and creating a software service directly for it. But I want to know if you have an idea on what can be in it for the auto manufacturers other than purchasing everything.

 

[Darius]

I know a bit about the auto industry, so here's my general opinion:

The people at the manufacturers that you'd need to speak to about getting service related data won't talk to you - they have no need. Manufacturers are not in the business of selling vehicles to individuals (even though they would prefer to not have to deal with dealers). So unless your software helps give manufacturers more control over individual dealerships - they probably won't care.

I've talked to numerous people at many different manufacturers that are head of *insert department* for the U.S market and they're typically as clueless as the rest of us. This industry isn't consistent or as organized as one would think.

A luxury brand's manufacturer is currently trying to convince dealers to join an Autotrader copycat (which gives manufactuers more control - so it's bad for dealers). And the manufacturer reps are all selling it to dealers with different information and none of them have any major details.

I say that to say, if you're going to try 'climbing the ladder' on the phone in an attempt to talk to the right person, you're going to need to be persistent and be OK talking to 99 people that know nothing related to what you need and 1 person that transfers you to someone who might know just a little bit more.

There are a couple big software players whose names I can't remember off the top of my head that have a lot of data that they don't utilize or share. Technology in automotive is behind because it's still massively profitable the way it is and no one (dealers or manufacturers) cares while the money is good. There's also millions of dollars moving behind the scenes to influence what small software companies die and which ones are allowed to live.

You may have better luck working this software on a small scale with data from a few local dealerships and slowly building that way. If it works well enough, word of mouth travels quickly and you'll gain additional customers with very little marketing.

If I was making software in automotive, I'd want to stay as small and profitable as possible up front. Then, once I figured things out, grow quick enough so that I become big enough to avoid being gatekept and either get bought out or keep growing until I reach my "number".

 

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