TOMMY MA


NYO



START-UP / INDEPENDENT VENTURE | JAN 2024

ROLE: CO-FOUNDER
SKILL SET: UX/CX DESIGN // UX/CX RESEARCH // MVP DEVELOPMENT // CREATIVE STRATEGY // DIGITAL STORYTELLING // COPYWRITING // PROTOTYPING // VISUAL DESIGN // BRANDING // AI // ML // AUTOMATION // CRM INTEGRATION // LEAD QUALIFICATION // COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS // AGILE

           



A CUSTOMER-EXPERIENCE PLATFORM THAT TURNS EVERY ONLINE TOUCHPOINT INTO A CALL TO ACTION • FOR DEALERS WHO REFUSE TO LET LEADS SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS • AI GUIDES EVERY ONLINE CONVERSATION SO SALES TEAMS NEVER MISS A BEAT • PURCHASING DECISIONS ARE MADE ONLINE LONG BEFORE THE TEST DRIVE STARTS   



PROJECT BRIEF// A BREAKDOWN OF OUR STRATEGIC DESIGN PROCESS 
We want to show how we transformed one measurable pain point—dealerships losing digital leads through slow, fragmented follow-up—into a cohesive brand and product experience. You’ll see how we:

1. VALIDATED THE PROBLEM Quanity how slow, scattered follow-ups drain revenue and hurts CX. 

2. TRANSLATE INSIGHT INTO OPPORTUNITY
Funnel eight big ideas into one high-impact MVP: “Lead Management and Communication”. 

3. BUILD THE BRAND EXPERIENCE
Shape NYO’s voice, visuals, and AI flows so every interaction feels seemless and human.  

4. PROTOTYPE & PILOT PLAN
Outline the feature roadmap, metrics, and rollout strategy for our launch partner.




THE PROBLEM // WHERE MOST LEADS ARE LOST - AND WHY DEALERS CAN’T SEE IT.
Car dealerships run on conversations that start long before a customer walks through the door—but the tools they rely on weren’t built for that reality.

1. FRAGMENTED CHANNELS
Inquiries pour in from AutoTrader, Facebook, SMS, email, and walk-ins, yet each lives in a different inbox or spreadsheet.

2. LOST CONTEXT
Crucial details (budget, language, financing needs) get buried or never make it into the CRM, so every hand-off feels like starting over.

3. SLOW RESPONSE EQUATES LOST SALE
The average lead waits hours—or days—for a reply, giving shoppers time to move on to a competitor.

4. MANAGER BLIND SPOTS
CRMs record what happens after a test-drive, but offer little insight into the messy, high-stakes pre-sale phase where most leads disappear.




THE STATS// THE PROBLEM IS UNIVERSAL.


            



DESIGN OPPORTUNITY// HOW WE TURNED A SPRAWLING VISION INTO A FOCUSED MVP. 
1. STARTING WIDE - THE “EVERYTHING BOARD”
• We began with an extensive web of nodes.
• Each node was shaped in response to a pain point we consistently heard in our research.
• The goal at this stage is simply to capture every idea.
• For a detailed view of Mind Map 1.0: https://bit.ly/44AZjor


           

2. FINDING NATURAL GROUPINGS
• We  sorted all of our nodes into thematic buckets.
• Patterns surfaced quickly: communication gaps dominated both staff and customer complaints , touching multiple buckets.
• We asked: “If we fixed communication first, how much downstream friction disappears?”
• For a detailed view of Mind Map 2.0: https://bit.ly/3GSMSuX


           
             
3. FEASIBILITY AND IMPACT MATRIX 
• Lead Management & Communication scored the highest impact and mid-high feasibility - a sweet spot for an MVP.
•  Other clusters, such as payments, were high impact but required banking compliance, pushing them to later releases. 


4. NARRATIVE STORYBOARD TESTING
• We walked stakeholders through Jane’s story.
• The result: unanimous agreement that if NYO is present, dealerships can solve one of the biggest leaks for dealers - leads that ghost or are forgotten.
• For a detailed view  of the narrative  storyboard: https://bit.ly/4lyvdb0


5. THE MVP: LEAD MANAGEMENT & COMMUNICATION
• For a detailed view of Mind Map 3.0: https://bit.ly/46QBj1X


           

            
6. WHY THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY
• High ROI & low lift: A single percentage-point uptick in close-rate pays for the platform across a store’s yearly volume.
• Foundation first: Lead Management & Communication generates the interaction data our future analytics and retention modules will mine.




POTENTIAL CLIENTELE// WHO THIS BENEFITS AND WHY.
We’re targeting mid-sized, multi-rooftop dealer groups - large enough to feel the pain of fragmented lead handling, yet nimble enough to pilot new tech quickly. Groups like OpenRoad Group (27 dealers, BC/ONT) sit in this sweet spot: high digital volume and lean BDC teams. This gives us measurable ROI proof and a launchpad to the wider market. 


PILOT BLUEPRINT// OUR STRATEGY FOR OPENROAD GROUP. 

            



STRATEGIC PAY-OFFS // TANGIBLE WINS FOR OPENROAD GROUP.

1. BRAND-LEVEL CX CONSISTENCY
•  One AI voice + unified follow-up cadence across 27 stores
2. BETTER VISIBILITY
•  Pipeline dashboard shows why leads ghost before they hit the lot (CRM blindspot today).
3. ZERO NEW HEADCOUNT
•  NYO absorbs after-hour customers that BDC teams can’t.

4. DATA FOUNDATION
•  All interaction data feeds back into their customer data platform, unlocking future personalization.  


PERSONA// MEET ANDREW. 
Through a mix of surveys and deep-dive interviews with dealership leaders, we distilled our findings into one representative voice: Andrew, the General Manager. Andrew’s daily struggles—slow lead follow-ups, scattered customer data, and uneven staff performance—capture the core pains our platform is built to solve and embody the exact audience we aim to serve first.

            


PRECEDENT STUDY: DRIVECENTRIC // LEARNING FROM IT, BUT ALSO LEAPING PAST IT.
To gauge market appetite, we examined DriveCentric—the U.S.-based AI sales platform already piloted in two OpenRoad rooftops. Its success confirms that dealers will invest in AI-driven lead management, but the rollout also highlights pain points: high subscription costs, one-size workflows, and offshore support. These gaps define our opportunity: deliver the same AI speed and insight at a fraction of the price, with Canada-based data residency and hands-on, local customization for OpenRoad’s exact processes.

           


PROTOTYPE// FROM BUSINESS CASE TO A TANGIBLE PRODUCT.
 SEAMLESSLY CAPTURE & QUALIFY LEADS
Automatically respond to leads within minutes using our AI-powered sales assistant for realistic and personal interactions.
              


EASY HAND-OFFS WITH CUSTOMER SUMMARIES
Receive a detailed customer summary from the initial interaction, enabling a seamless handoff and effective deal closing.
             


EFFORTLESSLY SCHEDULE, MANAGE & NOTIFY CUSTOMERS
Easily manage and schedule appointments, automatically notify your customers, and keep everything in sync with calendar integration.
             


EFFORTLESSLY ONBOARD WITH YOUR EXISTING CRM
Easily integrate with your current CRM tool to manage customer inquiries like availability.