Why We’re Giving Beepi the Green Light

October 6, 2014
Steve Vassallo

I’m a car guy.

As a kid, I built a trucks out of LEGOs. Not just any trucks, trucks with articulating suspension and working transfer cases. When I came of age (age 8, that is) my dad gave my little brother and me our first 4-horsepower Lime Limo go-kart from Sears. Since then, my passion for vehicles has only accelerated.But as much as I love cars, there’s one thing I don’t love: the car-buying process.

The emotions we typically feel for our cars – namely, trust and affection – are often the opposite of the emotions evoked by used car lots or transactions on Craigslist. Those experiences tend to be marked by confusion, frustration, and distrust. (And I’ve had some car buying and selling experiences on Craigslist that are not far from a dark alley experience from The Untouchables.)

It’s easy to see why so many consumers gravitate toward the well-worn path of leasing cars every three years. When the clock is up, they’re willing to give up residual value on a lease because buying and selling used cars is such an unpleasant experience.

I’ve often thought, there has to be a better way.

So when my colleague Rodolfo Gonzalez introduced me to his MIT classmate, Ale Resnik, the cofounder of Beepi, I quickly realized, this is it.