logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2025
27m 6s

Using New Tech to Compete in an Old Indu...

Harvard Business Review
About this episode

The insurance industry is centuries old and has historically been dominated by a few large incumbents. But the industry is experiencing disruption from smaller tech-driven companies—known as insurtechs—that are changing how insurance is bought and sold.

In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Lauren Cohen explores how insurtech firm Hippo is challenging traditional insurance models. He explains how Hippo is eliminating the need for insurance agents and using AI to lower prices. And he breaks down Hippo’s unique approach to targeting customers who live in riskier markets and are comfortable with digital platforms.

Key episode topics include: insurance, disruptive innovation, artificial intelligence, growth strategy, long-term growth, competitive advantage, climate change, case studies

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

· Listen to the full Cold Call episode: How One Insurtech Firm Formulated a Strategy for Climate Change

· Find more episodes of Cold Call

· Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

Up next
Jun 25
An Announcement from HBR On Strategy
For the last two years, HBR On Strategy has been a collection of the best conversations and case studies with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. But the time has come for HBR On Strategy to hit pause on new episodes. We ... Show More
1m 5s
Jun 25
The Strategic Advantage of Tapping Freelancers
The rapid pace of technological change is making a big impact on hiring. Some organizations are dynamically securing freelance workers through platform apps like Upwork and Freelancer. Other companies are investing heavily in work enabled by artificial intelligence. John Winsor a ... Show More
30m 26s
Jun 18
The Promises, Pitfalls, and Trade-offs of the Circular Economy
Most businesses are built on a linear model: take, make, and discard. But that norm is reaching its limits, and leaders are under pressure to find smarter, more sustainable ways to operate. Weslynne Ashton is a systems scientist and professor at the Illinois Institute of Technolo ... Show More
20m 36s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 10
How climate disasters are shaping insurance markets
Premiums are rising. Insurers are leaving markets. But people keep building in risk-prone areas, and the climate disasters just keep coming. Can insurance markets adapt? In this episode, Shayle talks to Dr. Judd Boomhower, an assistant professor of economics at the University of ... Show More
35m 1s
May 2024
Why Face-to-Face Wins in 2024: Strategies for Door-to-Door Life Insurance Sales
Welcome back to the Life Insurance Academy Podcast! 🎧 In this episode, we're shaking things up a bit. While Chris and Roger are off exploring the world, Zach is here to hold down the fort and dive deep into the art of face-to-face sales in the life insurance industry. Zach, a se ... Show More
44m 40s
Jun 4
UnitedHealth Group: Beyond The Premium - [Business Breakdowns, EP.219]
This is Zack Fuss. Today, we're tackling a giant in a controversial and incredibly complex industry, UnitedHealth Group. At its recent apex, UNH was a half-trillion-dollar market cap business, the 15th largest listed business in the United States. Today, that market cap sits at j ... Show More
1h 4m
Sep 2024
Insider Tips for Scaling Insurance Agencies with Telefunnel Mastery | The Insurance Dudes
Shoot Us A Message!Craig Pretzinger delves into the intricacies of creating a predictable, consistent, and profitable agency sales machine. Kicking off with a reflection on the importance of strategic investment and the pitfalls of a DIY approach, the episode centers around the t ... Show More
3m 40s
Nov 2024
MI376: Why Do Great Companies Fail? The Innovator’s Dilemma w/ Shawn O’Malley
In today’s episode, Shawn O’Malley (@shawn_OMalley_) discusses why great companies fail, as outlined by Clayton Christensen in his timeless book, The Innovator’s Dilemma, which was first published in 1997. The Economist actually named it one of the six most important business boo ... Show More
53m 4s
Nov 2024
498: INSEAD Professor on Rethinking Your Growth Logic with Triple Fit Strategy
Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 498, an interview with the coauthor of Triple Fit Strategy: How to Build Lasting Customer Relationships and Boost Growth, Christoph Senn.    In this episode, Christoph introduces us to the concept of the "Triple Fit Strategy," a groundbreaking a ... Show More
50m 36s
Oct 2024
Why climate tech startups get this one thing wrong
This might be our wonkiest topic yet: Techno-economic analysis, or TEA. Before a startup proves its technology is commercially viable, it models how a technology would work. These TEAs include things like assumptions about inputs, prices, and market landscape. They help investors ... Show More
49m 38s
Aug 2024
Rerun: Ep17 "Can the Free Market Discourage Fraud?" with Marc Cohodes
This summer break, we'll be taking a pause from uploading new episodes. However, Jules and Jonathan have handpicked some favorite past episodes for new listeners to enjoy and subscribers to revisit! There’s a negative connotation associated with short selling – the act of betting ... Show More
27m 1s
Nov 2024
729: INSEAD Professor on Rethinking Your Growth Logic with Triple Fit Strategy (with Christoph Senn)
Welcome to an interview with the coauthor of Triple Fit Strategy: How to Build Lasting Customer Relationships and Boost Growth, Christoph Senn.    In this episode, Christoph introduces us to the concept of the "Triple Fit Strategy," a groundbreaking approach to strategy and sales ... Show More
48m 58s
Mar 2024
662: Ex McKinsey and LBS lecturer, Dr. Rebecca Homkes, on high growth strategy
Welcome to an interview with the author of Survive, Reset, Thrive: Leading Breakthrough Growth Strategy in Volatile Times, Dr. Rebecca Homkes. Survive, Reset, Thrive is a playbook for leaders derived from the author's first-hand experience working with executive teams across indu ... Show More
51m 40s