Jared Kugel faced foreclosure after failed startups, then built Tire Agent into a $150 million business through strategic pivots.
A string of failed startup pitches nearly ended in homelessness for Jared Kugel, but a willingness to pivot repeatedly has since turned his tire business into a fast-growing e-commerce operation.
Kugel. the founder and CEO of the e-commerce site Tire Agent. began his entrepreneurial journey after more than a decade working for his family’s tire distribution company.. In 2017. he pitched a venture capital firm with an idea focused on creating a search engine for tire and wheel products.. The reaction surprised him: the VC offered $100. 000 in seed funding along with a spot in its New York City-based tech incubator. the Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator.
Even without any formal technology background, Kugel leaned into the “fail fast” approach promoted by the accelerator.. During the program. a partner raised a blunt question about selling a search engine idea that was. in effect. built to direct customers rather than serve as a traditional product business.. Kugel’s response referenced an old web brand, underscoring how far the concept had traveled in public memory.. The exchange pushed him to reconsider whether the model would ever translate into a durable company.
As the accelerator’s demo day approached, Kugel pivoted away from the search engine concept and introduced a new pitch: a mobile tire installer. But investor interest did not convert into funding commitments at the time, leaving the new plan without the backing needed to scale.
With outside capital not coming through, Kugel moved forward on his own.. Yet he quickly encountered another structural problem.. To grow the installer business, he believed franchising would be required to expand into multiple cities.. At the same time, the company still wasn’t ready to franchise, creating a mismatch between ambition and operational readiness.
By this stage. Kugel described himself as “flat broke. ” surviving on minimal food while taking a salary so small that it barely kept the business alive.. He framed it as an ultimatum: either the company would work or he would face homelessness.. That risk proved real when he received a foreclosure notice from his bank in late 2018.
The turnaround started with support from New York City-based angel investors who stepped in specifically because of the urgency of his situation.. They helped him assemble another round of pre-seed fundraising, providing $750,000.. Armed with that runway, Kugel shifted again, this time moving into road hazard protection.
In this phase, the business began to gain momentum.. Kugel said he formed a strategic relationship with Allstate and generated interest from about 100 retailers.. Still. he argued that growth remained too slow because the model depended on other parties selling the product. which limited how quickly the business could reach end customers.
Kugel ultimately made what he described as his final pivot: launching an e-commerce business called Tire Agent to sell tires and wheels online.. The change in approach—moving directly into internet sales rather than relying on intermediaries—immediately affected results.. The company posted $18,000 in sales in its first month, then increased to $90,000 in the second and $120,000 in the third.
After those early signs of traction, Kugel’s investors provided additional funding. With the business model gaining stability, he began adding features aimed at tackling customer pain points, including the cost of replacing tires and the difficulty of getting them installed.
Over time. Kugel identified what he called Tire Agent’s “secret sauce”: affordably priced tires combined with free same-day or next-day shipping. supported by a large installation network.. That setup matters in the tire business because speed and service availability can be as important as price. especially when customers need replacements quickly.
Since 2020, Tire Agent has sold more than 2 million tires, with individual prices ranging from about $40 to $800. The founder also said the company now makes more than $150 million annually, crediting the business’s growth trajectory to an approach that keeps improving the customer experience.
The pace of expansion has been reflected in revenue growth as well. Kugel said revenue has increased 563% over the past five years, and Tire Agent has appeared on the Inc. 5000 list in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The story has become a clear lesson in survival and reinvention for entrepreneurs watching their plans collide with reality. Kugel’s line of reasoning is simple: if a business stays the same as the day before, it may never find the market fit that makes growth possible.
For now. Tire Agent’s path—from search engine pitch to mobile installation. road hazard protection. and finally internet-first sales—illustrates how quickly early strategies can fail without the right operational fit. and how capital and customer focus can change outcomes even after foreclosure and failed funding rounds.
Tire Agent Jared Kugel startup pivots e-commerce venture funding retail partnerships Inc. 5000