We sat down with John Coles, VP of Data & Analytics at ACV, expecting to talk about AI. Instead, we walked away talking about leadership.
His biggest point was surprisingly simple:
Dealerships don't have an AI problem. They have an alignment problem. As more AI tools flood the market over the coming months, the stores that win won't be the ones buying the most software. They'll be the ones that know exactly what problem they're trying to solve before they spend a dollar.
So before your next demo or vendor meeting, ask these four questions.
Before You Buy Another AI Tool, Answer These Four Questions First
John kept coming back to one idea throughout our conversation.
Every investment should start with the customer.
Not the technology.
Not the feature list.
Not what another dealership is trying.
If your team can't clearly answer these four questions, the software probably isn't your biggest opportunity.
What customer problem are we trying to solve?
Who owns the outcome?
What barrier are we trying to remove?
How will we know it worked?
"If you're misaligned," John said, "you'll burn millions of dollars in tokens and half-baked ideas that aren't going to come to fruition."
That's true whether you're buying AI, hiring people, or redesigning a process.
Listen to "Why Most Automotive AI Projects Fail with John Coles"
AI Doesn't Fix Broken Processes. It Accelerates Them.
One of our favorite moments came from an unexpected Marvel analogy.
John compared AI to the super soldier serum from Captain America.
Give it to Captain America and you get... Captain America.
Give it to Red Skull and you get... Red Skull.
The point wasn't comic books.
AI amplifies whatever already exists.
If your dealership has clear processes, good communication, and a healthy culture, AI can help your people move faster and eliminate repetitive work.
If your processes are confusing or disconnected, AI simply helps confusion spread more efficiently.
Technology has never been better at accelerating what already exists.
That's both exciting and a little dangerous.
The Best AI Investment Might Be Your Frontline Team
Toward the end of the conversation, John shared where ACV is investing first.
Not flashy customer-facing demos.
Not AI for AI's sake.
They're putting better tools in the hands of frontline teammates.
Imagine an employee being able to instantly pull recall information, company policy, industry standards, or guidance on properly disclosing vehicle condition. Instead of replacing expertise, AI helps experienced people access what they already know faster and more consistently.
That idea feels bigger than automotive software.
It feels like the future of dealership operations.
The stores that get the most from AI won't necessarily buy the most technology.
They'll be the ones who equip their people to solve customer problems better than they could yesterday.
