Brice Englert on Building TradePending: From “No”s to Product-Market Fit in Auto Tech | PART 1 of 2
How one founder turned early skepticism into a durable SaaS business, and the early decisions that set the foundation for scale.
Who is Brice?
Brice Englert is the founder of TradePending, a Triangle-based automotive software company that helps dealerships modernize key parts of the car-buying and trade-in experience. With a background that blends corporate experience and deep auto industry context, Brice brings a pragmatic, execution-first approach to building focused on customer value, distribution, and staying close to the market.
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How I met Brice:
Brice and I first connected when TradePending surfaced on our radar at the Tweener List. As I was scanning for companies showing real traction, TradePending’s growth stood out, prompting me to reach out directly. That cold outreach led to our first conversation and the start of a long-running relationship built around shared interest in automotive tech and founder-led growth.
Listen/Watch Our Interview:
In this episode (Part 1), Brice shares the early story: how the idea formed, how he got the first version built, what the market told him at the beginning, and what he did to push through the inevitable uncertainty that comes with building from scratch.
This is the origin story and early foundation of TradePending, before the scaling years.
You’ll hear:
How Brice got started and why he chose automotive as the arena
What the earliest product looked like (and what didn’t work first)
The “crowded market” problem, and how Brice found an opening anyway
Early execution lessons: getting something live, getting customers, and learning fast
The mindset shift from idea → real business momentum
TradePending’s story is a reminder that the early stage isn’t about having the perfect model, it’s about building something real, listening hard, and creating momentum one customer at a time.
How to watch:
Visit Tweener Talks to listen for all audio podcast players
We have a video version on YouTube (make sure to subscribe!)
📌 What’s Next
In Part 2, we go from origin story to the real mechanics of scaling.
Brice breaks down:
How TradePending approached pricing (and why they kept it simple early)
The early SaaS model choices that lowered friction for customers
What it looked like to reach break-even and then pour fuel on growth
How the company expanded product lines and grew into a much bigger TAM
And the bigger strategic arc: growth paths, major milestones, and what comes next
If you’re building a SaaS company, and especially if you’re wrestling with pricing, go-to-market, or how to expand beyond your first product, Part 2 is the playbook.
Subscribe to Triangle Tweener Talks to be notified of part 2, and explore more Triangle founder stories at tweenertalks.com.