Web

Web

Web

Web

B2B

B2B

B2B

B2B

Making an insurance startup profitable

Making an insurance startup profitable

Making an insurance startup profitable

A web app where specialty insurance brokers generate quotes and prioritize valuable leads.

Skip to the designs

Skip to the designs

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Skip to the designs

Skip to the designs

Skip to the designs

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Summary

  • Team

    Designer, User Researcher • Me 👒

    Engineer (x2)

    Product Manager

  • Jess Beulow

    VP Underwriting

    @Argo

    Testimonial

    Mark!!! It was so nice having you as part of the team. I can't speak your praises enough... You really got what we were looking for and did a great job bringing it to the table!!

    2:42pm • Jun 22, 2023

  • Toby Jackson

    Sr. Engineer

    @Argo

    Testimonial

    I worked closely with Mark day-to-day on an agile squad. Mark’s collaborative workshops helped me dismantle assumptions I didn’t know I had. He actually made engineering handoff easier. He’s exactly the kind of designer I want when building an org.

    5:16pm • Aug 3, 2025

The ask

Argo, a specialty insurance provider (insuring towns, hospitals, construction projects, etc.) hired me as the sole designer on an agile product squad within their startup-style incubator, asking me to help them scale their MVP web-app, Owner's Edge, to the next stage, to capture more users and reach profitability.

My contributions

I co-led user research, facilitated squad workshops, and designed 3 new features end-to-end—including in-app quote customization.

Post-launch, I scaled the solution to include quote versioning and AI-powered lead recommendations, while co-building the design system with designers from other squads.

Skip to the designs

Skip to the designs

Team

Designer, User Researcher • Me 👒

Engineer (x2)

Product Manager

Jess Beulow

VP Underwriting

@Argo

Testimonial

Mark!!! It was so nice having you as part of the team. I can't speak your praises enough... You really got what we were looking for and did a great job bringing it to the table!!

2:42pm • Jun 22, 2023

Toby Jackson

Sr. Engineer

@Argo

Testimonial

I worked closely with Mark day-to-day on an agile squad. Mark’s collaborative workshops helped me dismantle assumptions I didn’t know I had. He actually made engineering handoff easier. He’s exactly the kind of designer I want when building an org.

5:16pm • Aug 3, 2025

  • $565k

    per year in servicing costs from call-ins recouped

    $565k

    per year in servicing costs from call-ins recouped

    $565k

    per year in servicing costs from call-ins recouped

    $565k

    per year in servicing costs from call-ins recouped

  • $1.5mil

    in additional premium revenue per year

    $1.5mil

    in additional premium revenue per year

    $1.5mil

    in additional premium revenue per year

    $1.5mil

    in additional premium revenue per year

  • 300+

    new brokers using the app

    300+

    new brokers using the app

    300+

    new brokers using the app

    300+

    new brokers using the app

  • 55%

    reduction of call-ins to underwriters

    55%

    reduction of call-ins to underwriters

    55%

    reduction of call-ins to underwriters

    55%

    reduction of call-ins to underwriters

Building the MVP

Business context

Problem

The MVP had successfully proven product-market fit and viability with a small group of brokers, but didn't yet have the scale to cover costs and turn a profit.

Problem

The MVP had successfully proven product-market fit and viability with a small group of brokers, but didn't yet have the scale to cover costs and turn a profit.

Problem

The MVP had successfully proven product-market fit and viability with a small group of brokers, but didn't yet have the scale to cover costs and turn a profit.

Problem

The MVP had successfully proven product-market fit and viability with a small group of brokers, but didn't yet have the scale to cover costs and turn a profit.

How do we reach profitability? 🤔

✱ Increasing the number of brokers closing business with Argo (+$1mil)

✱ Reducing the burn from underwriters manually customizing quotes (+$617K)

Together, this meant +$1.6mil to the topline.

User context

Understanding current users

The PM and I tag-teamed user research that included remote broker interviews & in-person contextual inquiries where we observed brokers at their place of work, noting habits, tools, software etc.

I learned that our current users were more established brokers who could afford to occasionally wait a few days for manual customization, or who closed enough deals on standard coverage that customization wasn't always critical.

Discovering potential new users

On the other hand, we found brokers who had chosen not to do business with Argo because we only offered standard quotes and with fast-moving clients who couldn't afford to wait, they chose more flexible competitors instead.

The sweet spot between both

We identified a small set of customizations that both segments needed—addressing existing brokers' pain while targeting the barrier to entry for new brokers.

Mission critical user outcome

Ultimately, we found that brokers who could close at least 2 consecutive deals were most likely to become loyal to Argo.

Target New Segment Persona

New York

Insurance Broker

Hungry

John, 39

"Each project and client are different. They move fast, and I move fast to meet them. To make my sales goals, I need to prioritize the best leads & get them instant bindable quotes.”

Target New Segment Persona

New York

Insurance Broker

Hungry

John, 39

"Each project and client are different. They move fast, and I move fast to meet them. To make my sales goals, I need to prioritize the best leads & get them instant bindable quotes.”

Target New Segment Persona

New York

Insurance Broker

Hungry

John, 39

"Each project and client are different. They move fast, and I move fast to meet them. To make my sales goals, I need to prioritize the best leads & get them instant bindable quotes.”

Target New Segment Persona

New York

Insurance Broker

Hungry

John, 39

"Each project and client are different. They move fast, and I move fast to meet them. To make my sales goals, I need to prioritize the best leads & get them instant bindable quotes.”

Current Users' Persona

Milwaukee

Insurance Broker

Patient

Carl, 55

"Overall, I like Argo and Owner's Edge, but when I need custom coverage, I have to call in and sometimes waiting a few days means my client will take a policy through a competitor broker."

Current Users' Persona

Milwaukee

Insurance Broker

Patient

Carl, 55

"Overall, I like Argo and Owner's Edge, but when I need custom coverage, I have to call in and sometimes waiting a few days means my client will take a policy through a competitor broker."

Current Users' Persona

Milwaukee

Insurance Broker

Patient

Carl, 55

"Overall, I like Argo and Owner's Edge, but when I need custom coverage, I have to call in and sometimes waiting a few days means my client will take a policy through a competitor broker."

Current Users' Persona

Milwaukee

Insurance Broker

Patient

Carl, 55

"Overall, I like Argo and Owner's Edge, but when I need custom coverage, I have to call in and sometimes waiting a few days means my client will take a policy through a competitor broker."

Mission critical user outcome

Ultimately, we found that brokers who could close at least 2 consecutive deals were most likely to become loyal to Argo.

Design approach

Hypothesis

If brokers can self-serve 2 consecutive customized quotes to closing, through a simple UI matching their native workflows, they'll convert to long-term revenue-driving users without requiring underwriter support.

Hypothesis

If brokers can self-serve 2 consecutive customized quotes to closing, through a simple UI matching their native workflows, they'll convert to long-term revenue-driving users without requiring underwriter support.

Hypothesis

If brokers can self-serve 2 consecutive customized quotes to closing, through a simple UI matching their native workflows, they'll convert to long-term revenue-driving users without requiring underwriter support.

Hypothesis

If brokers can self-serve 2 consecutive customized quotes to closing, through a simple UI matching their native workflows, they'll convert to long-term revenue-driving users without requiring underwriter support.

Target product metrics

✱ Acquire >=25 new brokers / month

✱ Reduce % quotes called-in for manual customizations from 60% to 10%

Design requirements

✱ Let users opt in / out of common coverages

✱ Help users quickly target leads likely to close

✱ Mirror users' simple MS-DOS inspired tools

✱ Minimize friction and prioritize speed

Designs

  • "Get a Quote" flow allows users to quickly get a basic quote before customizing.

    Scroll
  • For regulation, we needed to add a step to check for existing matching quotes. I designed the step to include affordances as well as the ability to pre-fill details from a match, promoting a speedy workflow.
  • Application inherited from MVP designer

  • After finishing the initial application, users are emailed a standard quote.

  • Before
    I redesigned the quote to address the discoverability issues that came up in research around finding specific coverages, while also being more branded.
    After

  • Customizing ended up as an optional last step, keeping friction low for users who don't need the feature.

  • Before: simple pricing summary | After: quote customization
  • Before
    I then proposed, designed, and shipped "Top 3 High-Value Prospects", to help new brokers reach hypothesis retention metric: quote 2 consecutive quotes that close.
    After

  • You made it to the end!

    Please enjoy a digital cookie: 🍪

    And maybe go have a real one :-)

  • "Get a Quote" flow allows users to quickly get a basic quote before customizing.

    Swipe to view
  • For regulation, we needed to add a step to check for existing matching quotes. I designed the step to include affordances as well as the ability to pre-fill details from a match, promoting a speedy workflow.
  • Application inherited from MVP designer

  • After finishing the initial application, users are emailed a standard quote.

  • Before
    I redesigned the quote to address the discoverability issues that came up in research around finding specific coverages, while also being more branded.
    After

  • Customizing ended up as an optional last step, keeping friction low for users who don't need the feature.

  • Before: simple pricing summary | After: quote customization
  • Before
    I then proposed, designed, and shipped "Top 3 High-Value Prospects", to help new brokers reach hypothesis retention metric: quote 2 consecutive quotes that close.
    After

  • You made it to the end!

    Please enjoy a digital cookie: 🍪

    And maybe go have a real one :-)

Post-launch

Outcomes

🎉 300+ new brokers onboarded

Over the 6-month release window—a longer window due to engineering constraints—strong word-of-mouth from the product's accuracy & a referral program drove 300+ new broker signups, 2x our original target of 24/month.

🎉 Reduced call-ins by 55%, 5% above target

Pre-redesign, 60% of quotes required underwriter calls to fix errors or add missing coverage. The new self-service customization flow dropped that to 5%, surpassing our 10% target and saving underwriters from hundreds of hours of rework each month.

🔻 An upsell add-on went down

Excess coverage—optional padding that increases policy limits—saw a drop from 20% to 11% of quotes after launch. I had inadvertently made it less discoverable in my design, hiding it by default.

50+

2x the original target of 24/mo

new brokers onboarding every month

50+

2x the original target of 24/mo

new brokers onboarding every month

50+

2x the original target of 24/mo

new brokers onboarding every month

50+

2x the original target of 24/mo

new brokers onboarding every month

95%

down to 5% from an initial 60%

of quotes good as-is; no call-ins and rework needed

95%

down to 5% from an initial 60%

of quotes good as-is; no call-ins and rework needed

95%

down to 5% from an initial 60%

of quotes good as-is; no call-ins and rework needed

95%

down to 5% from an initial 60%

of quotes good as-is; no call-ins and rework needed

-9%

down from 20% of quotes to just 11%

optional add-on policy limit "Excess" quoted

-9%

down from 20% of quotes to just 11%

optional add-on policy limit "Excess" quoted

-9%

down from 20% of quotes to just 11%

optional add-on policy limit "Excess" quoted

-9%

down from 20% of quotes to just 11%

optional add-on policy limit "Excess" quoted

Design iteration

  • By making the policy extension "Excess" visible by default, users were more likely to include it in quote.

    Scroll
  • After
    Before
    Default: visible not not checked

  • You made it to the end again, you!

    Go take a break 🌳

    You've earned it :-)

  • By making the policy extension "Excess" visible by default, users were more likely to include it in quote.

    Swipe to view
  • After
    Before
    Default: visible not not checked

  • You made it to the end again, you!

    Go take a break 🌳

    You've earned it :-)

Outcomes, again

Post-launch feedback showed that brokers didn't always know they wanted to offer Excess without seeing it—kind of like travel insurance during check-out when buying a flight.

So I made it visible (but unchecked) by default. Discovery recovered to 18%, nearly matching pre-redesign levels without adding friction.

+7%

back up to 18% of quotes vs. original 20%

optional add-on policy limit "Excess" quoted

+7%

back up to 18% of quotes vs. original 20%

optional add-on policy limit "Excess" quoted

+7%

back up to 18% of quotes vs. original 20%

optional add-on policy limit "Excess" quoted

+7%

back up to 18% of quotes vs. original 20%

optional add-on policy limit "Excess" quoted

Vibing? Let's chat!

enachemark@gmail.com

All right reserved © Mark Enache 2025

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Vibing? Let's chat!

enachemark@gmail.com

All right reserved © Mark Enache 2025

Resumé
Linkedin
Wellfound

Vibing? Let's chat!

enachemark@gmail.com

All right reserved © Mark Enache 2025

Resumé
Linkedin
Wellfound

Vibing? Let's chat!

enachemark@gmail.com

All right reserved © Mark Enache 2025

Resumé
Linkedin
Wellfound