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Market Insight: Why David Long’s move to VAN signals a new era for Vehicle Acquisition. In the 2026 automotive landscape, the "Dealer with the best inventory wins." No one understands this better than David Long. After four decades in dealership operations, David is transitioning to Vehicle Acquisition Network (VAN) to lead their enterprise scaling efforts. Why this matters for your 2026 strategy: Proven Methodology: David has refined the "Buying Center" model for 13+ years using VAN’s proprietary software. Sourcing vs. Buying: This shift moves the industry away from auction dependence and toward high-margin, private-party acquisition. Enterprise Scaling: David’s role is to help dealer groups transform their acquisition "muscles" into a standardized, scalable business unit.

We're #hiring a new Customer Support Manager in Santa Monica, California. Apply today or share this post with your network.

We're #hiring a new VP of People in Santa Monica, California. Apply today or share this post with your network.

Building a startup in 2026 isn't about the "perfect plan"—it's about Speed to Test. 📉🚀 I sat down with Ryan Osten, CEO of Lyteflo, to discuss my Day 1 at Plug. If I could give my past self one piece of advice, it would be this: Sell the first car. We wasted six months waiting for a "perfect" commercial seller when we should have been breaking doors down to prove the model. The 2026 Startup Reality: Stop Building for Quarters: The market moves too fast. Build for days. The Hypothesis Test: Don't wait for a 100% signal. A 60% signal and 100% effort will win every time. Volume is Validation: You don't have a business until you have a transaction. Who else is choosing execution over planning today?

Is your startup Default Alive or Default Dead? 📈💀 I sat down with Ryan Osten, CEO of Lyteflo, to discuss the brutal mathematics of the 2026 venture market. If you are burning more than you’re earning, you aren't "scaling"—you’re in a state of constant warfare. The Survival Checklist for 2026: Kill Your Darlings: If a project isn't "winning enough," it’s a liability. Cut it before it drains your runway. ✂️ Built-in Urgency: When you’re Default Dead, you don't need to act motivated. The math does the motivating for you. Creativity as a Buffer: The only way out of the "trenches" is to innovate faster than your burn rate.

Between the #NADA chaos and competition, one thing was clear: the EV market isn't slowing down. 🥊 The tone was set in the opening fight by none other than George J Saliba 🥈 Shoutout to the standout runner-up Kylie Rose Olp 🏅 Congrats to the Battery Royale champion Joe Duchene Thanks to everyone who matched up and showed up! Next year will be even better. #EVMarket #AutoDealers #Plug #NADA2026 #BatteryRoyale

From trade-ins to Times Square. Our Series A, led by Lightspeed, hit the Nasdaq board last week. Grateful to our dealers, partners, and other investors who believe in the secondary EV market as much as we do. It's real. And it's growing fast. Shoutout to our huge team Jimmy Douglas Tienhung Duong Saul Diez-Guerra Lauren Van Dyke Andrew Maddox Susan O'Rourke Alexandra Yorke This is just the beginning.

We're #hiring a new Buyer in Santa Monica, California. Apply today or share this post with your network.

We're #hiring a new Customer Support Manager in Santa Monica, California. Apply today or share this post with your network.