RSRV · ONGOING CASE STUDY
Defining the operating model behind a premium automotive marketplace.
RSRV connects Private Clients and Dealer Partners through vehicle listings, wanted requests, proposals, offers and timeboxed negotiations. I lead the end-to-end product definition that turns those interactions into one coherent marketplace system.
01 — THE MANDATE
Turn a marketplace concept into a product teams can reason from.
A marketplace is not simply a catalog of vehicles. It must coordinate different actors, intentions, permissions and transaction states while keeping the experience clear for every participant.
My responsibility is to define that shared product model—from the public experience to private workspaces and negotiation flows—then translate it into requirements that Design and Engineering can execute with confidence.
02 — THE MARKETPLACE MODEL
Two transaction paths. One connected account system.
Private Client lists. Dealer Partners compete.
The product structures how an owner receives, compares and negotiates offers within a controlled timeframe.
Private Client requests. Dealer Partners propose.
The product turns buyer intent into structured dealer proposals and a clear path toward agreement.
03 — THREE STRUCTURING DECISIONS
The choices that keep the marketplace understandable.
ONE IDENTITY, CONTEXTUAL PROFILES
Separate what the user is doing—not who the user is.
One person may operate as a Private Client, a Dealer Partner or both. A single account supports contextual workspaces without creating duplicate identities.
ONE NEGOTIATION LANGUAGE
Use consistent states across transaction paths.
Listings and wanted requests begin differently, but proposals, offers, counter-offers and decisions need a shared behavioral model.
TIME AS A PRODUCT RULE
Make urgency visible and deterministic.
Opportunities and negotiations are timeboxed. Countdown behavior, expiration and allowed actions are part of the product model—not visual decoration.
04 — MY WORK TO DATE
Creating the foundation before claiming the outcome.
Marketplace foundations
Vision, actors, value exchanges, product scope and the two core transaction paths.
Rules and lifecycle
Entities, states, transitions, permissions, negotiation behavior and edge cases.
Public and private journeys
Marketplace discovery, onboarding, profile switching, workspaces and deal management.
Delivery alignment
Requirements, acceptance criteria, prioritization, validation and Product–Design–Engineering coordination.
Product briefs · Journey definitions · Domain rules · API expectations · Acceptance criteria · Delivery priorities
05 — CURRENT STATUS
The operating model is defined. Product delivery is progressing.
Core marketplace journeys and supporting experiences are being implemented and refined with the delivery team.
Current work focuses on completing flows, closing experience gaps and ensuring the system behaves consistently across roles and states.
Commercial outcomes and behavioral metrics will only be presented after release and evidence from real product usage.
06 — WHAT THIS WORK DEMONSTRATES
Leadership before the success metrics exist.
RSRV demonstrates how I operate when the product is still being shaped: make the model explicit, resolve ambiguity, connect business intent to system behavior and keep execution aligned around one source of truth.
- Structure a multi-sided marketplace from first principles.
- Turn complex interactions into clear states and journeys.
- Balance business, user and technical constraints.
- Coordinate decisions across Product, Design and Engineering.
- Separate delivered work from future direction.
WORK WITH ME
Building a marketplace with too many moving parts?
Let’s turn the actors, rules and transactions into one product your teams can build and your users can understand.
Start a conversation ↗