Valero – Customizing a White-Label App at Scale
Valero was one of the most feature-rich tenants on our white-label platform. Supporting their needs required pushing the boundaries of what the platform could offer while maintaining consistency and integrity across the ecosystem. I led product development for the Valero app, introducing capabilities like a mobile-first Apply & Buy credit card flow, advanced offer campaigns and POS-integrated product discounts. These features delivered measurable business impact and directly influenced the future of our platform strategy.
Turning White-Label into Competitive Advantage
Valero wanted to deliver a best-in-class mobile experience, not just a branded version of a standard app. Their ask included features like Apply & Buy, complex offers and targeted in-store promotions - functionality that previously required custom development. As the lead product manager, I collaborated with engineers, designers, and stakeholders to deliver these features while maintaining platform stability. The goal was to bring high-impact experiences to market quickly, without creating one-off technical debt.
Custom Features, Platform-First Thinking
Apply & Buy presented one of the most technically challenging requests. Users needed to apply for a Valero-branded credit card and begin transacting immediately upon approval. I had previously worked on this feature in a custom app, but bringing it into the white-label system required a configurable, tenant-aware approach. We designed the feature to be toggled on or off, ensuring flexibility across the platform. At the same time, I worked to expand our offers platform, enabling progressive fuel discounts, promo code support and product-level incentives. These tools gave Valero the flexibility to run targeted campaigns and promotions that delivered clear results, including increased user activity and higher average basket values.
Building Smarter by Design
Working with Valero helped expose the limitations of our white-label model and revealed the need for a more scalable, modular platform. Every new feature we built was carefully designed to avoid regressions and serve as a foundation for future growth. The lessons learned through this partnership shaped the vision and architecture of App Factory. Supporting Valero helped me refine my approach to platform thinking, balancing the needs of one customer while preparing the system to serve many.