Meet… Rishi Shah, Chief Technology Officer

To understand how we are leading this change in the automotive sector, today we introduce you to Rishi Shah, Chief Technology Officer at DealerBest, who is leading the development of DBDriver, the platform that is redefining the way dealerships manage their operations.

In this interview, Rishi shares his vision on the company's technological evolution and how innovation and team culture are at the heart of everything we do.

Below, you can read his full answers to find out first-hand how the technological future of dealerBest is being built.

Regarding vision and technological leadership...

dealerBest is in the midst of a technological evolution, how would you define that change from within?

Well, from within, it's like rebuilding a train while it's moving... at full speed.

The transformation isn't about cosmetic changes; we are dismantling some of the most difficult modules we have under DBDriver, one of them being Paper Zero.

And we aren't just rewriting the code, we aren't just redefining how it works... rather, we are restructuring it from scratch so that it is more usable, with a better user interface, with better performance, and many things we can't reveal at this moment.

But I believe we are dismantling many things under DBDriver and it's great.

What role is the IT team playing in the development of dBDriver and the digitalization of the sector?

IT at dealerBest is no longer just about creating software; we are shaping behavior.

DBDriver isn't just a product for us; it's a platform we are building and that will reshape all the processes of our dealerships. We aren't just shipping code; we are driving a change, and that change is building up.

In your opinion, when can a company say it has "become technological"?

The day the roadmap is no longer defined by a list of pre-defined features inherited
in the documents. Rather, it is defined by the users' vision and their feedback.

When the IT team stops being a department and becomes a mindset at all levels. I think that's when you cross the threshold.
We realized that when our CEO asked for access to GitHub and not the traditional programs given by the team.

On a personal level, what has been the most exciting challenge you have led since joining dealerBest?

Honestly, managing controlled chaos during the reconstruction of a platform is something... we would say it was the most exciting challenge.

We worked hand in hand with the structure and hierarchy and solved some of the biggest, most complicated issues. Or rather, we managed to tackle the toughest tasks that seemed impossible, but we not only survived, we turned it around in no time.

Regarding technology and internal development...

What sets dealerBest's technological ecosystem apart from other automotive software?

Two things:

• We don't use patches; we rethink.

• Second, our philosophy: Fresh people, fresh ideas.

We have transitioned from the traditional chaos of Excel to systematic agile methodologies to build or rebuild the DBDriver platform.

How do you internally tackle critical challenges such as scalability or cybersecurity?

The architecture is modular and we build with scale in mind, so from the very first commitment we have scalability on our minds.

As for the security level, I would say we are... we always follow all these standard protocols and we are also proactively testing our own solutions.
Our role is to build simply, as if you were going to buy technology tomorrow.

Regarding the team...

What is it like leading a technology team distributed around the world?

It's a masterclass in asynchronous trust.

Time zones aren't an obstacle if the sense of ownership is at a high level, and our team owns everything they touch, any feature they rebuild or any issue they tackle, but the culture is built
in the daily meetings we have, in the cross-functional developments, and in the transparency we offer the team, at any level we have.

We may be spread across continents, but you know, we operate as one unit.

What lessons would you highlight from working in such a multicultural and diverse environment?

Well, diversity forces clarity, and what works in one market may not work in another. And what works in one place may not work in another place.

And that's an advantage; we have learned to question assumptions faster, to design more universally, and to be more empathetic leaders.

But the fusion of what we are building in terms of the product, and that's what I think makes us stronger as a team.

Looking to the future...

Where do you see dealerBest in two years in technological terms? What vision are you building with your team?

We are building a platform for dealerships, but it's not just a sales or finance platform; we would say this is a dealership stack that brings together everything they need on a daily basis in a single platform.

Within two years, I see artificial intelligence integrated into the daily workflows of a dealership. Integrations with manufacturers (OEMs) work like a plugin and not just programmed or with rigid code, and also a configuration layer which will solve how... which will require the minimum amount of time from engineering teams.

This won't just be smarter; it will be adaptable.

What technological trends do you think will shape the future of the automotive sector?

I would say that for now, three stand out:

• Artificial Intelligence integrated into the platform.

• Zero friction in integrations, which has been our main driver with the DBDriver platform.
• Experience as a service. We won't just sell this application; we will share an experience as a service.

At dealerBest, we can't wait for things to be included; rather, we are already working to move towards them.

A bit more personal...

Any funny or unexpected anecdote with the development team?

Midnight debugging sessions, how could I forget those...

I can recall the moments when there were critical issues, logged by product users and end customers, where we had to send a quick fix during the middle of the night, no matter what time zone we are in, but when the team needs something, the team delivers. That's what I always say.

What excites you about what's coming for dealerBest as a technology company?

Well, the fact that we aren't limited by what exists today, and as I mentioned with DBDriver, we aren't just building a platform; we are building the foundations with the tools that the dealership needs.

And with the right mindset to adapt to any change in the near future.
I think we aren't digitalizing the past; rather, we are redesigning the future, and that's the most exciting part of being at the top.

At dealerBest, we believe in technology and the product.

Rishi's vision makes it clear that digital transformation isn't just about tools, but about strategy, talent, and ambition.

You can watch the full interview on our YouTube channel:

With DBDriver, at DealerBest we are building solutions that not only optimize dealership management but also redefine the way the sector faces the future.

And this is only the beginning.

At DealerBest, we believe that digital transformation isn't a destination, but a constant journey.

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