One industry.
One conversation.
On April 1, 2020, with showrooms locked down and the industry flying blind, Paul J Daly went live on LinkedIn to make sense of the day's auto news. No studio. No script. Just context, conviction and a bit of jab. That livestream became the Automotive State of the Union.
Kyle Mountsier joined Paul in 2021, a group of dealer principals backed the vision, and ASOTU grew from a morning show into the daily email, podcasts, docuseries and live events retail auto actually looks forward to.
ASOTU is the news and media brand of More Than Cars, the company Paul and Kyle built to make retail automotive an industry people fight to join. The name says it all: we cover the business of cars, but it's built on people.
Our mission: make retail auto an industry people fight to join.
01
Make it meaningful
Every headline, episode and keynote is made by people, for people. We say it with honesty, empathy and care.
02
Fewer. Better. Faster.
We chase the stories that matter to your store, not the ones that fill a feed. Then we move, fast.
03
Own your line
Accountability isn't a slogan around here. If one line breaks, the circuit doesn't work.
04
Kindness, even when it's inconvenient
Care builds the trust that lets us speak directly, even when the news isn't pretty.
The Movement Makers
Paul, Kyle and Michael lead the show, alongside a crew of writers, producers and designers at More Than Cars who live in this industry's news every day so you don't have to.
Paul J Daly
Co-founder & CEO
Hit "go live" on the very first ASOTU in 2020. Founded Image Auto in 2003, sold it to Dent Wizard in 2018, and wrote The Automotive Manifesto.
Kyle Mountsier
Co-founder & COO
Joined Paul in 2021 to turn a morning livestream into a media network. Co-hosts the show and runs the business behind it.
Michael Cirillo
Chief of Staff
Host of The Dealer Playbook podcast. Joined in 2024 as Chief of Staff and shareholder to help steer the network.
Where the conversation happens
From the ASOTU CON stage to the NADA Show floor to the More Than Cars studio, this is where the daily email comes to life.
From one livestream to a media network.
A few mile markers on the way to the inbox you open every morning.
2020
Paul goes live on LinkedIn on April 1 with the first Automotive State of the Union. A daily habit is born.
2021
Kyle joins Paul, and dealer principals invest in ASOTU, Inc.
2022
The first ASOTU CON lands in Philadelphia, planned in under 90 days.
2023
ASOTU is cited in feedback on the CARS Rule. The dealer voice gets heard.
2024
The Truth About Car Dealers premieres on Amazon Prime. Michael Cirillo joins as Chief of Staff.
2025
ASOTU and Congruent become one company, More Than Cars. Plus the 4th ASOTU CON and official coverage of the NADA Show.
2026
The very first AutoIndustry.ai Summit brought retail auto's AI practitioners together in Maryland for live demos, hands-on workshops and operator panels. See the Summit →
The ASOTU Network
Pick your format. The daily email is just the start.
The Daily Email
Champion story, editorial take, quick hits and a bit of history, every weekday morning.
Podcasts
Automotive State of the Union, Auto Collabs, The Dealer Playbook, ASOTU Unscripted and more, for when you'd rather listen.
Edge Webinars
Practical sessions on AI, data, advertising, service and more, built for the people running stores.
ASOTU CON
Our flagship in-person event, where the conversation keeps going long after the inbox.
The Truth About Car Dealers
Our docuseries on Amazon Prime, profiling the stores and people who make this industry great.
