Setting up to disrupt:Evolving as a market leader

Irina Annells

Product Lead at Auto Trader

12thbiggest UKPage views, ComScore CY2017

website

55mmonthly

585,000Vehicles listed per day(average)

4xmoreAuto

searchesthan

Google

Engagement compared with all other portals COMBINED

2.5x

95Adviewsper second

cross-platformvisitsComScore –Nov 17

2xmore

influentialfor new car

buyersthan nearestcompetitor

Annual Car Buying Report 2016

678Million minutes spent in Janvs. 138 on Gumtree

5 years ago…

1. Executive idea2. Write business

case3. Pass to

engineers to build

4. Sell to customers

2 years later we became agile….

TRIBESDealer Consumer

SQUADSDealer intel

Valuations

Sourcing stock

Advertising stock

Search SEO

Landing pages Motoring

products

Product Lead

Tech LeadDelivery Lead

Cross-squad UX designers, analysts, marketing

Dedicated engineers

Seni

or S

take

hold

ers

Squad set up

6

• From the makers of TripAdvisor

• Fast• Well funded• Unique consumer

proposition

In came to challenge our P&T set up...

7

So we reacted and minimised the threat...

Tra

dit

iona

l C

omp

etit

ors

1995 19961977 2013

We are continually challenged by new entrants and big brands

2005 2007 2010 2015 2016 2017 2018

Bra

ndC

omp

etit

ors

Regional Press

9

Sectiontitle

10

New car registrations

(50.0%)

(30.0%)

(10.0%)

10.0%

30.0%

50.0%

70.0%

90.0%

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row

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nth

LTM

rolli

ng N

CR

s (m

illio

ns)

YoY growth for the month LTM rollling NCRs

The market is tough…

Last 12 month rolling total

Was our set up bold enough?

• Products launched much quicker

• Daily releases

• Space to test, learn, fail fast

• Blend of skillsets

• Dual-located (London and Manchester)

• Flexible

• Focus on continuous improvement

• Customer-obsessed

• Top down vs. squad roadmaps

• Roadmaps hard to break

• Different styles of each squad = difficult for stakeholders

• Some squads were doing very small incremental changes over bold moves

• Different seniority of teams

• Reality = very few things failed

We have now evolved our structure organised to deliver big

initiatives...

There are new principles to follow…

KEY PRINCIPLEAuto Trader Success OVER Tribe / Squad Roadmap Delivery

WHAT? PRINCIPLESSignificant Outcomes OVER Incremental Improvements

Teams organised around big priorities

OVER Continually Improve Everything

Consumer experience OVER Satisfy all our customers

Mobile, End to End, Experiences

OVER Product Features

HOW? PRINCIPLES

Seek, Do and Learn OVER Over-Test and Mitigate Risk

Anticipate Frequent Change OVER Continue in Comfort Zone

Empower & Trust OVER Process & Control

What do you think the challenges are going to be?

How would you try to succeed in this new set up?

Thank you & questions