Why the Best Insurance Carriers Think Like Startups

The insurance industry is built on stability, risk mitigation, and time-tested processes. While these qualities have sustained carriers for decades, they have also made the industry slow to change. That approach worked for decades, but the landscape is shifting. The most forward-thinking insurance carriers are adopting a startup mindset—one that prioritizes agility, rapid iteration, technology, and data-driven decision-making. 

The days of waiting years to roll out new processes are over. The best carriers are testing, learning, and scaling faster than ever, leveraging AI-driven drone inspections, automated claims processing, and real-time data analytics to stay ahead. 

 The Challenge: Insurance’s Slow-Moving Nature 

For decades, insurance carriers have operated on legacy systems and slow to change, relying on traditional and often manual workflows. Claims inspections have been time-consuming, labor-intensive, and prone to inconsistencies. The result? 

• Delays in claim resolutions, leading to frustrated policyholders 

• High operational costs from outdated, manual inspections 

• Inconsistencies and human error, creating disputes and inefficiencies 

• Lack of transparency in why a claim is denied since the roof can be steep, high, or dangerous for homeowners to inspect 

The most successful modern carriers recognize this challenge and are adopting a test-and-learn approach—much like a startup launching a new product. 

What Can Insurance Carriers Learn from Startups? 

The Silicon Valley ethos as encapsulated in Eric Ries’ The Lean Startup emphasizes the importance of building, measuring, and learning—a mindset that allows businesses to adapt and scale efficiently. Instead of waiting to implement massive, risky overhauls, successful startups test small, iterate, and scale what works. 

The best insurance carriers are applying this same approach to claims management, using small-scale pilots of new technology, like IMGING’s AI-driven property inspection software, before full adoption. By leveraging real-world data, they continuously refine workflows, optimize processes, and eliminate inefficiencies. Automation plays a key role in reducing costs and increasing efficiency by streamlining repetitive tasks that traditionally slow down claims processing. 

Most importantly, this test-and-learn approach drives a better customer experience, allowing insurers to resolve claims faster, with greater transparency, and with data-backed confidence. 

Lower Costs 

Traditional inspections require adjusters to spend hours on-site, manually assessing damage, climbing roofs, and documenting claims. This process isn’t just slow, it’s expensive. With IMGING’s AI-powered drone inspections, carriers reduce labor costs, remove third-party inspection expenses, and cut unnecessary site visits such as reinspections. By eliminating inefficiencies, insurers save money while improving adjuster safety and speeding up claims processing. The result? Lower operational costs without sacrificing accuracy. 

Data-Driven Optimization 

The best decisions aren’t based on guesswork—they’re based on real data. With AI-powered analytics and automated reporting, IMGING gives insurers a clear, unbiased view of every claim, ensuring accuracy and consistency. Carriers can track damage patterns, identify fraud risks, and continuously refine their claims process using real-world insights. Instead of relying on subjective assessments, adjusters can make faster, smarter decisions with AI-backed evidence. 

Scalability 

When major weather events strike, insurers face thousands of claims, yet traditional inspection methods don’t scale efficiently. IMGING makes growth seamless. Carriers can start with a small pilot program, measure impact, and scale operations across entire regions—without compromising speed or accuracy. Whether handling a few hundred claims or a national catastrophe response, drone-based inspections and AI-driven analysis ensure insurers can process more claims, faster, with fewer resources. 

How IMGING Helps Carriers Iterate & Improve 

A key ingredient in this transformation is technology that enables rapid iteration. Carriers using IMGING, our AI-powered drone inspection platform, are seeing measurable results by implementing faster, smarter, and more scalable claims processes. 

Here’s what happens when insurance carriers adopt a test-and-learn mindset with IMGING: 

• Faster Claims Processing – Automated drone inspections reduce cycle times by days or even weeks. 

• Lower Costs – Fewer manual inspections cut labor and operational expenses. 

• Data-Driven Optimization – AI-powered insights help adjusters refine decision-making in real-time. 

• Scalability – Carriers can pilot in select regions, measure impact, and scale based on performance. 

Pilot First, Scale Fast: How Carriers Can Adopt Innovation

Like a startup, insurance carriers don’t need to overhaul their entire system at once. Instead, they should: 

1.  Pick a High-Impact Area – Start with a specific region or claim type (e.g., hail damage, catastrophe claims). 

1. Implement & Measure – Deploy IMGING’s drone-based inspections and measure impact on speed, accuracy, and cost savings. 

1. Refine & Scale – Use real-world data to optimize processes before rolling out more broadly. 

The Future of Claims Belongs to the Agile 

Insurance carriers that embrace innovation, test new tools, and refine their processes will lead the industry in efficiency and customer satisfaction. Those that stick to outdated, manual methods will fall behind. The world is changing to fast, weather patterns, financial changes, and technological cycles are being compressed. Without evolving at a similar pace, carriers will fall behind. 

The best carriers aren’t waiting for change—they’re building, testing, and learning every day. Are you?