Jay Vijayan, founder of Tekion, and Tesla’s first-ever CIO, has one of the most remarkable careers in technology and automotive.

Jay joined as CIO when Tesla had almost no revenue and stayed through its growth to $5 billion ARR and $35 billion market cap. Elon Musk brought him in to build Tesla’s own ERP system at a time when most companies would have chosen ready-made solutions like SAP or Oracle.

Today, Jay leads Tekion, a company valued at over $4 billion that has raised more than $640 million and has companies like GM, BMW, Hyundai, and Exor as both customers and investors.

Jay talks about how Tekion is rethinking the experience of buying & servicing cars connecting dealers, manufacturers, and partners on one platform. He explains why the company spent four years building its first product, why they acquired real dealerships to understand the business end-to-end, and what it takes to build tech for such a complex industry.

This conversation is about building deep, meaningful products, making hard choices early, and maintaining focus when the world is moving too fast.

00:00 – Trailer
02:42 – What value Tekion brings to the automotive industry?
03:56 – Enabling dealers with car buying and servicing
05:41 – Helping manufacturers connect all customer touchpoints
07:02 – Supporting partners across loans and financing
07:34 – What was the industry like before Tekion?
09:37 – Why Tekion spend 4 years in stealth mode
11:50 – Acquiring dealerships to study the product end-to-end
16:38 – Should vertical SaaS companies invest in sector businesses?
20:30 – Stay Informed, but don’t get swayed by trends
22:57 – Why Subscription model didn't work for cars
25:30 – How can founders navigate overhyped trends safely?
26:22 – Differentiation in AI: solving valuable, sticky problems
28:24 – Every business function should have an AI agent
30:31 – How can AI agents improve car servicing?
32:56 – When customers turn investors
36:58 – Why experts opposed acquiring dealerships?
40:08 – Why build an ERP backend as an early stage company?
44:21 – Do not outsource core customer functions
46:37 – Taking on a failed family business
51:38 – Paying off huge debt over 10+ years
55:21 – When seed investors get a 400x growth
58:06 – What is the right attitude early in your career?

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This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.

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