What We Learned in Our First Month of Showing Ombox Publicly
A few honest reflections from taking Ombox out into the world for the first time.
The past month has been the first time we have shown Ombox properly in public. Not private demos or controlled tests, but real people walking up, asking questions, and calling the demo number on the spot. It has been a mix of excitement and nerves, and it has already taught us a lot. We are still early, but we move at a breakneck pace with grit and hustle, and we already have a product that delivers real ROI. We are live in real dealerships, and these first conversations are shaping how we build. More than anything, the past month has reminded us that everything starts with listening to customers and solving the problems they feel every day.
Here are a few reflections from this first month of bringing Ombox out into the open.
1. Talking to real users beats every deck, demo, or guess
We only started Ombox 3 months ago, and our world was product screens and development notes. Once we stood in front of people and let them try Ombox themselves, everything changed. You learn faster from one honest reaction than from a hundred lines of planning.
Some people were curious. Some were sceptical. Some lit up instantly once they heard the agent answer. Every reaction taught us something. You cannot get that kind of clarity from your own assumptions.
2. The best conversations start with simple questions
We expected people to ask about AI, tech, or integrations. In reality, most opened with very human questions.
“Does it actually answer every call?”
“Will this help my team in the mornings?”
“Can customers talk normally, or does it feel robotic?”
These questions reminded us that dealerships do not care about buzzwords. They care about outcomes. They want to know if the thing works and if it will make their day easier. This has already shaped how we talk about Ombox.
3. Trust is built faster when you show up as a tiny team
We did not hide the fact that we were two founders at the booth. People seemed to appreciate that. There is something about talking to the actual people building the product that makes the conversation more honest on both sides.
Several people said, “It is nice to speak to the founders. You can tell you care about getting this right.” That feedback stuck with us. Founder involvement early is not just useful. It is a trust multiplier. But I think it’s true at any stage of the company.
4. Early users do not expect perfection. They expect effort.
The most refreshing part of this first month is how forgiving people are when they know you are early. They are not looking for a glossy enterprise platform. They are looking for focus, reliability, and a willingness to improve fast.
When someone points out something that could be smoother, and you acknowledge it openly, they lean in more. Being transparent about the stage we are in has actually helped us.
Early adopters want to be part of the journey as much as they want a polished product.
For example: I am on customer support duty if the agent sometimes doesn’t work (and that’s not a lot of the time mind you, we already have an incredible product)
5. What surprised us most is what people valued
A lot of folks asked us about features we thought were small details. At the same time, some things we assumed would be headline features were less important.
This is the value of showing the product early. People highlight the things that matter in their real day. Sometimes the biggest problems are not the ones you imagined. Sometimes the simplest things create the biggest reaction.
These early insights are now influencing our roadmap in ways we did not expect.
6. The more we talk to people, the more the vision becomes real
You can work on something for months and still not feel like it is real. Showing Ombox publicly changed that. The conversations at AM Live, the feedback in early trials, and the support we had from people who barely knew us made everything feel more grounded.
There is a different energy when you see someone else believe in what you are building. It gives the work more weight and makes the next steps clearer.
Where we go from here
This first month has taught us more than we expected. Talk to real users early. Stay open. Show the product even if it is not perfect. Seek clarity in the questions people ask. Keep the founder energy present.
We are more confident now in the direction we are taking Ombox. Still early, still scrappy, still the biggest grind-energy AI nerds, but with a clearer sense of what matters to dealerships and what does not.
Thank you to everyone who spoke to us, tested the demo, shared stories, and gave us honest feedback. It means more than you know.
More updates coming soon as we keep learning in public.
Bonus: A photo of our CTO running last-minute promotion tests in the car on the way to AM Live. Nothing beats the energy of building a startup ❤️ (shot from my Rayban, not my phone)
