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20VC: Corgi Insurance: The Most Intense Workplace Culture in America: 7 Days Per Week, Founder Sleeps in Office, Corgi Cafe Open 24 Hours a Day, 60% of First 30 Employees Have Corgi Tattoos | The Journey from $0 to $2.6BN Valuation in Just 2 Years

Overview

Shownote

Highlights

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20VC: Corgi Insurance: The Most Intense Workplace Culture in America: 7 Days Per Week, Founder Sleeps in Office, Corgi Cafe Open 24 Hours a Day, 60% of First 30 Employees Have Corgi Tattoos | The Journey from $0 to $2.6BN Valuation in Just 2 Years

The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

May 30
The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

May 30
OverviewShownoteHighlightsTranscriptChaptersPins

Shownote

Nico Laqua is the Co-Founder and CEO of Corgi Insurance, an AI-native insurance carrier built for startups. Corgi is the most intense workplace culture in America. The team works 7 days per week. The founder sleeps in the office. ⅔ of the first 30 team mem...

Highlights

Nico Laqua, CEO of Corgi Insurance, discusses his company's intense, high-stakes culture and his contrarian views on building a startup. He explains his philosophy of asymmetric upside, the importance of stamina, and why he believes extreme dedication is necessary for world-historic success.
02:36
I love winning more than I hate losing.
06:35
University is a waste of time for aspiring founders
09:44
To win big, you must go all out
12:01
Soft skills and ambition over hard skills.
21:07
Criticizing founders never pays off.
22:02
London's talent and visa advantages make it exceptional.
23:50
Scarcity of meaningful influence and confidence in the company's future
24:19
San Francisco is the best place for hardcore startup founders.
30:47
Employees asking for more equity often underperform
31:14
Solve big problems to retain top talent.
35:01
Fundraising should be a couple of days
35:45
Good companies get deals done.
39:14
Brand and identity have intrinsic value beyond future cash flow.
40:36
AI makes sales and marketing more important, not less
45:30
Few companies truly want to win.
46:19
VCs partially blamed for fraud driven by rapid growth pressure
48:10
Venture investors have a responsibility for fraud.

Chapters

Intense Culture and Asymmetric Upside
00:00
Why going to university was a massive waste of time
06:35
Why we work seven days a week
09:42
Why we do work trials and how that is a test of people's stamina
11:58
Why we created a cafe in the biggest annoyance with San Francisco
18:41
Why I am so bullish on London
22:00
Why I haven't sold a single secondary
23:49
Why people who found companies in New York prioritise dating over their company
24:19
Biggest lessons on cash comp and equity
30:46
Team members can be split into three separate groups
31:13
Biggest lesson from Brian Chesky on price
34:59
What is the right amount of time to be fundraising for?
35:44
Good companies get deals done and what makes the best venture investors?
36:47
Why AI makes sales and marketing more valuable
40:34
Why I don't like boards and I don't think they're effective
43:12
What I would like to see more of from venture funds
46:19
Who was Corgi's first believer?
48:05

Transcript

Nico Laqua: If your days off happen to be Saturday and Sunday every week, then you will not have a place at Corgi. I don't sleep a lot. I think the average night, a couple hours, probably three to four hours. Harry Stebbings: So you literally live in the ...