On this week’s episode of the Area of interest Pursuits podcast, Tomi Mikula and I talk about how he grew Delivrd from 100 free offers to 400+ offers monthly. After years within the auto trade, he constructed the corporate round an issue he heard repeatedly: individuals hated shopping for vehicles. Right now, Delivrd has 25 full-time staff and generates roughly $400,000 to $500,000 in gross sales.
The mannequin modified as Tomi discovered what clients valued. Delivrd moved from a $2,500 service centered on saving cash to a $1,000 flat-fee service centered on saving time, vitality, and stress. These classes additionally formed its pricing, hiring, and natural video technique.
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Turning Dealership Frustration Right into a Enterprise
Earlier than launching Delivrd, Tomi spent six years within the automotive trade. His gross sales expertise went again even additional. He started working in mobile phone gross sales from age 18 to 23, moved into management, and later entered the dealership enterprise. On the dealership, he rapidly moved by the ranks.
- He grew to become the highest salesperson at his dealership inside 11 months.
- He later moved into automotive finance.
- He often handled clients throughout probably the most irritating levels of buying a car.
- He saved listening to one criticism: individuals hated shopping for vehicles.
That final level stayed with him. Tomi believed the second-largest buy many individuals make should not be so disagreeable. On January 3, 2023, he gave discover on the dealership and left to create Delivrd.
The unique aim sounded easy: let individuals skip the dealership expertise whereas nonetheless receiving a aggressive deal. The problem was determining what clients have been keen to pay somebody to take away from the method.
Testing the Concept With 100 Free Offers
Quite than assuming his dealership expertise gave him all of the solutions, Tomi determined to review clients from the opposite aspect of the transaction.
He provided to barter 100 automotive offers at no cost. In lots of instances, he even provided contributors $100 for his or her time after the deal so a 3rd social gathering may conduct a two- to three-hour interview. These interviews started altering his view of the corporate surprisingly early.
- At roughly 15 free offers, Tomi began questioning his unique principle.
- By round 30 offers, he felt assured that saving cash was not the principle cause individuals wished assist.
- Worth regularly ranked round fifth or sixth among the many points clients mentioned.
- Time, vitality, anxiousness, and belief appeared a lot greater on their lists.
That discovery reshaped the enterprise. Tomi had entered the method believing clients primarily wished somebody who may get them the bottom potential worth. The interviews prompt that many shoppers cared extra about avoiding the irritating work surrounding the acquisition.
It additionally helped him determine a kind of buyer that was much less enticing for Delivrd. Individuals whose solely precedence was squeezing each potential greenback out of the transaction typically made extra sense as do-it-yourself automotive consumers. Delivrd may serve a unique group: one keen to pay to reclaim time and keep away from the components of the transaction they disliked.
Shifting the Provide From Saving Cash to Saving Time
Delivrd’s first paid service value $2,500 and tried to take away almost the complete car-shopping expertise. The corporate carried out a wants evaluation, organized take a look at drives on the buyer’s residence, labored by the acquisition, and coordinated supply. It was a extremely concerned service.
Then Tomi discovered one thing else: many individuals take pleasure in looking for vehicles. They like researching fashions, watching YouTube movies, evaluating choices, and taking take a look at drives. They dislike what comes later: negotiating and finishing the acquisition. That led Delivrd towards a narrower supply.
- Clients may hold the pleasurable analysis and purchasing stage.
- Delivrd would deal with car pricing and supplier communication.
- The group may negotiate the trade-in individually.
- Add-ons and equipment is also dealt with for the client.
- Delivrd would keep concerned by financing and remaining car supply.
The change eliminated work Delivrd did not have to do whereas focusing the service on the ache clients have been keen to pay to keep away from. Tomi additionally lowered the value from $2,500 to $1,000.
The $2,500 model offered roughly 10 to fifteen offers monthly. Tomi felt the viewers for such a complete service would stay too slim if he wished to construct a a lot bigger firm.
Simplifying Pricing Round a $1,000 Flat Charge
The $1,000 worth additionally displays one other lesson Tomi discovered from the dealership enterprise: clients get pissed off after they can not simply inform what one thing prices. Delivrd subsequently costs the identical flat charge for its commonplace service even when one buy requires extra work than one other.
Some negotiations take longer. Some autos are simpler to supply, whereas others require much more supplier contact. Tomi nonetheless prefers a transparent worth clients can instantly grasp.
At its present scale, that easy pricing mannequin has grow to be a large enterprise. Tomi says Delivrd is producing roughly $400,000 to $500,000 in gross sales whereas dealing with greater than 400 offers monthly.
The corporate additionally has excessive working prices. Tomi estimated bills at roughly $200,000 to $250,000, making effectivity more and more vital as Delivrd provides extra clients and staff.
That method requires pricing the service so troublesome instances can stay worthwhile. As soon as that baseline is established, bettering margins turns into an operational query. Delivrd can refine its processes, staffing, communication, and deal movement with out presenting clients with a sophisticated pricing system.
Discovering the First Clients on Reddit
Getting these first 100 offers wasn’t simple. Tomi rapidly ran by the plain pool of family and friends members who have been looking for autos. He wanted strangers who have been keen to let a brand new firm negotiate for them.
Reddit grew to become certainly one of his best sources. He joined car-buying communities, looked for individuals asking for buying recommendation, and messaged them to supply assist.
- Tomi says he messaged a whole bunch of individuals.
- A small proportion agreed to let him negotiate on their behalf.
- After roughly 25 offers, he requested these clients to refer one other one who may additionally obtain the service at no cost.
- For the next group, he requested clients to refer somebody who would pay.
That sequence created Delivrd’s earliest referral system. It was nonetheless a really small enterprise. Tomi mentioned referrals generated solely about two to 4 paid offers monthly throughout one stretch.
By November of his first 12 months, his financial savings have been operating low sufficient that he thought of shifting Delivrd to part-time standing. Then one video modified the trajectory.
Rising the Firm By way of Negotiation Movies
Tomi had began producing car-buying content material on social media, initially giving normal recommendation somewhat than publishing full negotiations. One early video discussing a irritating dealership name reached round 60,000 views. 5 individuals signed up for Delivrd from that video, giving the younger firm badly wanted momentum.
Later, Tomi recorded a for much longer negotiation with the overall supervisor of a Mazda dealership. The recording was 27 minutes lengthy. It had no subtle thumbnail, polished visible manufacturing, or elaborate enhancing. He uploaded it anyway.
The video generated roughly 300,000 to 400,000 YouTube views in a single day, in keeping with Tomi. That end result pointed Delivrd towards a content material format that grew to become central to its development: letting individuals watch the very negotiations they have been paying the corporate to keep away from.
The irony is a part of what makes the content material work. Clients could not need to spend hours negotiating with dealerships themselves. They’ll nonetheless discover it entertaining to observe an skilled negotiator deal with tense calls, objections, pricing discussions, and supplier techniques from the sidelines.
Turning Reside Calls Right into a Content material System
Delivrd ultimately constructed a full content material course of round these negotiation calls. Tomi livestreams negotiations so individuals can watch the calls as they occur. The livestreams then grow to be supply materials for long-form YouTube movies, which might later be was short-form clips.
The group tries to protect the character of the calls somewhat than presenting each dealership interplay negatively.
- A producer tracks optimistic and unfavourable calls.
- Edited movies goal to mirror roughly the identical positive-to-negative ratio seen through the calls.
- Brief-form content material focuses on compelling particular person moments.
- Lengthy-form YouTube movies comply with a starting, center, and finish.
- The unique livestream stays obtainable for individuals who need to see the whole interplay.
Tomi’s livestreams as soon as ran eight to 10 hours per day. That quantity supplied the corporate with an infinite quantity of supply materials and gave potential clients an in depth take a look at how Delivrd labored behind the scenes. It additionally created one thing tougher to provide by a standard commercial: seen proof of the service.
Shifting Prospects From Brief Movies to Reside Content material
Delivrd’s content material channels now work collectively as an off-the-cuff buyer journey. Tomi mentioned many individuals first encounter the corporate by short-form content material. From there, some transfer to the corporate’s YouTube movies and ultimately attain the livestreams.
The livestream seems significantly vital close to the purpose when somebody decides to rent the corporate. Potential clients can watch Tomi negotiate, hear him reply questions, and see the method with out relying solely on the corporate’s claims.
Delivrd has additionally gathered almost 1,000 five-star Google evaluations, in keeping with Tomi. That library of buyer suggestions offers prospects one other supply of reassurance earlier than handing over a $1,000 charge for assist with a serious buy.
Apparently, the corporate has grown this far with out a conventional gross sales division. Tomi or group members have traditionally answered electronic mail inquiries as capability permits. As Delivrd strikes past 400 to 500 offers monthly, Tomi expects a extra formal gross sales operate to grow to be vital.
Scaling Progress With Very Little Paid Promoting
Paid promoting has performed nearly no position in Delivrd’s story to this point. Tomi estimates he has spent round $300 on promoting since beginning the corporate. That cash went to Google Adverts, produced no web site clicks, and satisfied him to pursue a unique course.
Content material grew to become the first method of placing Delivrd in entrance of potential clients. The corporate has additionally experimented with one other method: performing its service for individuals who have already got massive audiences.
Constructing a 25-Particular person Working Staff
Delivrd began with Tomi doing almost all the things. Even after hiring staff, he remained deeply concerned. As just lately as March 2026, he mentioned he was nonetheless negotiating about 60% of the corporate’s offers whereas dealing with different obligations.
That ultimately grew to become unsustainable. Right now, Delivrd has round 25 full-time staff, with a number of individuals contributing to every buyer transaction. A typical deal entails roughly 5 group members, whereas the client usually communicates with solely two.
- An preliminary group member handles the session and buyer consumption.
- A deal coordinator manages communication and the consumer expertise.
- Negotiators seek for autos and work immediately with dealerships.
- Consumer advocates assist consider whether or not proposed offers match buyer wants.
- Media staff flip negotiations and livestreams into content material.
Tomi estimates that one negotiator can deal with about 20 offers whereas sustaining the service degree he desires. At 400 offers monthly, staffing necessities add up rapidly. Delivrd additionally wants staff for consultations, consumer administration, advertising and marketing, enhancing, and manufacturing.
Stepping Away From the Founder Bottleneck
One of many hardest adjustments for Tomi was accepting that clients did not want him personally concerned in each transaction.
For an extended interval, Delivrd operated round what the group internally known as the “Tomi impact.” Tomi would make not less than one cellphone name on each deal so the corporate may inform clients he had personally participated.
That mannequin positioned a pure ceiling on development. If Delivrd wished to succeed in 1,000, 2,000, or 5,000 month-to-month offers, Tomi could not personally name each buyer. His transition away from day-to-day deal manufacturing got here with a worth.
Tomi mentioned stepping away whereas the group tailored contributed to roughly $100,000 in refunds as a result of the corporate couldn’t hold tempo with demand through the transition. Nonetheless, eradicating himself from routine manufacturing opened his schedule, letting him affect much more offers without delay.
Changing Himself With Higher Programs and Individuals
A significant a part of that transition concerned hiring individuals who may take work away from the founder. One rent modified Tomi’s opinion about delegation: an government assistant.
He had resisted the concept, questioning why he wanted another person to deal with duties like electronic mail. His former government assistant, Ashley, ultimately grew to become a director at Delivrd.
Tomi now sees an government assistant as one of many earliest hires he would make if he have been constructing the corporate once more.
The position can grow to be way over administrative help. Somebody who works intently with a founder positive factors deep familiarity with priorities, communication, decision-making, and the way the corporate operates.
For Tomi, that relationship helped create one other chief who can carry extra duty whereas he shifts his focus elsewhere.
Increasing Delivrd Past Its Present Service
With operations requiring much less of his direct consideration, Tomi is spending extra time on content material and future development alternatives.
One alternative is Canada. Round 20% of Delivrd’s viewers is Canadian, in keeping with Tomi, whereas the corporate at present serves clients in the US. He estimates coming into Canada may add roughly $100,000 to $200,000 in month-to-month income.
The corporate is contemplating a number of extra classes.
- Delivrd beforehand paused work on used vehicles and desires to reopen that service.
- The group is growing a separate method for unique autos.
- Tomi mentioned Delivrd as soon as dealt with a $10 million car transaction.
- The corporate is contemplating RVs and boats.
- Planes are one other class Tomi has mentioned.
These higher-value purchases could not use the identical $1,000 pricing mannequin. An unique car can contain allocations and sourcing work that lasts for months. Tomi sees that as a separate service with pricing that displays a a lot heavier workload.
Reflecting on What He Would Change
Requested what he would do in a different way after roughly three and a half years, Tomi returned to 2 intently associated classes.
First, he would rent an government assistant earlier. He estimated he would make that rent 4 to 6 months sooner if he may rebuild Delivrd from the start.
Second, he would take away himself from manufacturing earlier. Tomi got here to imagine that a lot of his personal work was replaceable, even when it felt tied to the corporate’s id. Staying closely concerned could have helped Delivrd in its early levels, however the identical behavior later grew to become a constraint.
That transition is particularly related for enterprise homeowners whose firm relies upon closely on their very own persona, experience, or labor. The traits that assist a founder survive the primary 12 months can grow to be the identical traits that prohibit the corporate a number of years later.
Last Ideas
Delivrd’s development got here from repeated testing, not one good resolution. Tomi began with free offers, buyer interviews, Reddit outreach, and a service constructed round saving time, not simply cash. Negotiation movies later grew to become a serious supply of demand.
Three and a half years after leaving the dealership world, Delivrd handles greater than 400 offers monthly with 25 staff. Tomi believes the corporate may attain round 1,000 month-to-month offers subsequent 12 months and has a longer-term aim of 5,000. Every stage compelled him to query earlier assumptions.
Clients cared extra about time and stress than he anticipated. Lengthy negotiation movies drew a whole bunch of 1000’s of views, and his personal involvement ultimately grew to become a constraint on development. His expertise reveals the worth of listening intently to clients, simplifying the supply, and altering your position because the enterprise grows.
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