In this episode, Peeyush Upadhyay, Managing Partner of Pekamiar, sits down with Sanjay Varnwal, Co-founder & CEO of Spyne, to explore how they’re transforming automotive retail — from shaky smartphone photos on crowded lots to studio-quality images, 3D spins, immersive video, and AI-led digital retail.

Sanjay walks through Spyne’s hard pivot from a generic computer vision platform to a deep auto vertical, explaining why they consciously gave up 80% of their revenue to find true product–market fit, and how they scaled from India into the US and Europe, working with over 3,200 dealerships globally.

They talk about:

How dealers can shoot studio-like car visuals using just a smartphone

Why visuals dramatically change lead volume and conversions

Building proprietary computer vision & generative models for auto

Pivoting from multi-vertical to auto-only (and surviving the revenue dip)

Using conversational AI to capture leads 24/7

How to hire for new markets and build a US sales engine from India

What founders should really focus on before raising a Series A

If you’re building in AI, SaaS, or vertical software, or you’re a founder thinking about a painful but necessary pivot, this one is going to hit home.

Chapters

00:00: Introduction to Spine AI and Automotive Retail Transformation

02:53: The Impact of Visual Presentation on Car Sales

06:07: The Capture and Cleanup Process in Automotive Imaging

08:57: The Shift to Specialization in the Automotive Industry

11:44: Revenue Growth and Metrics for Success

14:53: Customer Success Stories and Engagement Strategies

17:52: Adapting to Market Changes and Technology Trends

20:47: Expanding into a Broader Digital Retail Platform

23:49: Fundraising and Future Growth Plans

26:18: Unlocking Funding Success

29:07: Navigating Market Challenges

30:30: Scaling and International Expansion

35:59: Hiring for Growth

42:34: Cultural Cohesion and Leadership

44:55: Future of AI in Auto Retail

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