Myth check
Were online used-car retailers like Shift and Vroom too early?
Not a timing failure since 2026-10-25 · ledger #49
Carvana sold cars online through the same period and grew.
Short answer
Shift filed for bankruptcy in October 2023 and Vroom shut its e-commerce business in January 2024. Carvana sold used cars online through the same years, survived a near-death 2022-23, and grew again. Same market, same date: not a timing failure.
- Killing constraint
- Nothing was missing
E6 Behavioural norm - Who is in now
- Carvana
founded 2012 - Why it is not timing
- A competitor succeeded at the same time with the same enablers
The enablers it needed already existed; something else killed it.
Graveyard
Companies that died proving people wanted this. Capital shown where it was disclosed.
Who succeeded at the same time
- Carvana (founded 2012) — online used-car retail source