AI Copilots Are a Dead End. Here's What Actually Works | Kavak CEO

About this video

a16z's Angela Strange and Gabriel Vasquez speak with Carlos García Ottati, founder and CEO of Kavak, about building Latin America's largest online used car marketplace across Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and the Middle East. They discuss why building in emerging markets means constructing four businesses underneath your business, how Kavak replaced copilot tools with AI agents handling 90 to 95% of customer interactions, and what it took to go flat for a year during the transition before growing four times on the other side. Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction 00:34 – Kavak's scale: 10,000 cars a month, 3,500 people, all of Latin America 04:58 – How his parents stayed optimistic through every move — including a car that only went in reverse 13:05 – How getting defrauded selling a car became the idea for Kavak 22:46 – Why they stayed in Mexico City for four years before expanding anywhere 35:31 – Humans with blood vs. agents with electricity: how Kavak decided who does what 40:53 – The year everything got worse before it got better 59:38 – Treat problems like a protein bar — pressure is earned 01:00:38 – Why Carlos fires himself every year (and keeps hiring himself back) Resources: Follow Carlos García Ottati on X: https://twitter.com/carlosjgarciao Angela Strange on X: https://twitter.com/astrange Gabriel Vasquez on X: https://twitter.com/GEVS94 Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see http://a16z.com/disclosures.