LiveCart
Bring the in-store sales experience online
The idea for LiveCart came from my time working at a unicorn used car startup.
Selling a used car online is difficult because every car is different, and every buyer has different concerns. They want to see the scratches, understand the condition, compare options, ask about the service history, and sometimes just hear an honest answer from someone who actually knows the car.
We could improve listings, add more photos, publish inspection reports, and build better chat experiences. But when customers became serious about buying, they still wanted to speak to a real person and see the car properly.
That stayed with me.
The problem was not always a lack of information. It was a lack of confidence.
Today, ecommerce stores are adding chatbots and AI assistants everywhere. They are great for answering common questions, helping customers search a catalogue, and providing quick support. But for an expensive or carefully considered purchase, customers often need more than an automated answer.
They want someone who can understand their hesitation, show them the product, make a thoughtful recommendation, and reassure them before they buy. AI can make commerce faster and more efficient, but it cannot fully replace the trust, empathy, and personal attention of a good human conversation.
I later realised this problem was not limited to used cars. It exists in furniture, jewellery, appliances, luxury fashion, watches, and many other categories where customers need confidence before making a purchase.
That is why I started LiveCart.
LiveCart lets shoppers instantly connect with, or schedule time with, a real product expert directly from an online store. The expert can demonstrate the product over video, answer specific questions, recommend alternatives, co-browse with the shopper, and help them complete the purchase.
The goal is to give online shoppers the kind of personalised, concierge-like experience they would expect from a great physical store, without forcing them to leave the website, fill out a lead form, or continue the conversation across scattered calls and WhatsApp messages.
I'm building LiveCart to bring the human touch back to ecommerce, while using technology and AI to help product experts deliver that experience at scale.
4 Comments
Loved reading this.
What really stood out to me was the line, "The problem was not always a lack of information. It was a lack of confidence" That's such a simple observation, but it explains so much about why people hesitate before making high-value purchases.
I also like that you're not positioning AI as a replacement for humans, but as something that helps humans do their job better. That's a far more practical way of looking at where commerce is headed.
Wishing you and the team the very best. Looking forward to seeing LiveCart grow.
I like that you're framing the problem around customer confidence rather than assuming the missing piece is better product information.
I'll be interested to see which moments during these conversations consistently lead customers to complete a purchase. Those patterns will probably reveal what shoppers are really seeking before they commit.
Exactly. I saw this first-hand while working in used cars.
Even when a listing had professionally shot photos, inspection reports, and the exact size of a dent, customers still wanted to see how that dent looked in natural light. Sometimes they did not want to scroll through a long spec sheet or compare ten different variants either. A parent buying a car may simply want someone to understand their needs and show them the best option.
We also used to give full car demos to customers living far away from the warehouse. A short live conversation could answer questions that photos, videos, and product pages could not.
The same problem exists in other categories. Someone buying a bed may want to know if it is really modular or how difficult it will be to disassemble when they relocate. Product videos can help, but finding the right video and watching it at the final stage of a purchase is still extra friction.
Most of us have abandoned a checkout because of one or two unanswered questions.
LiveCart gives ecommerce brands a way to answer those questions in a few minutes, show the actual product, and help the customer feel confident enough to complete the purchase.
Appreciate the context.
The examples make the underlying customer confidence problem much clearer.
I have a few thoughts on how this type of buying friction translates into product positioning, but I don't think I'd do it justice in a public thread.
If you're open to it, what's the best email to reach you on?