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
The Twenty Minute VC
4.4 • 693 Ratings
🗓️ 30 May 2026
⏱️ 53 minutes
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Summary
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 members have a Corgi tattoo. This week, Corgi raised $106M, valuing the company at a whopping $2.6BN.
AGENDA:
06:35 Why going to university was a massive waste of time
09:42 Why we work seven days a week
11:58 Why we do work trials and how that is a test of people's stamina
18:41 Why we created a cafe in the biggest annoyance with San Francisco
22:00 Why I am so bullish on London
23:49 Why I haven't sold a single secondary
24:19 Why people who found companies in New York prioritise dating over their company
30:46 Biggest lessons on cash comp and equity
31:13 Team members can be split into three separate groups
34:59 Biggest lesson from Brian Chesky on price
35:44 What is the right amount of time to be fundraising for?
36:47 Good companies get deals done and what makes the best venture investors?
40:34 Why AI makes sales and marketing more valuable
43:12 Why I don't like boards and I don't think they're effective
46:19 What I would like to see more of from venture funds
48:05 Who was Corgi's first believer?
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | If your days off happen to be Saturday and Sunday every week, then you will not have a place |
| 0:04.6 | at Corgi. |
| 0:05.6 | I don't sleep a lot. |
| 0:06.6 | I think the average night, a couple hours, probably three to four hours. |
| 0:10.4 | So you literally live in the office? |
| 0:11.8 | Yeah. |
| 0:12.8 | Yeah. |
| 0:13.8 | I have a mattress there. |
| 0:14.8 | I would rather, like, measure my lifespan in victories than yours. |
| 0:18.3 | Would you rather, Corgi was a trillion dollar company, but you died at 50, or it was a fail, |
| 0:24.6 | and you lived till you were 80? |
| 0:25.6 | I mean, I think the answer to that is pretty easy. |
| 0:28.6 | I get a lot of backlash, the death threats and the DMs, you know, people think I'm nuts. |
| 0:33.6 | I think the number of good companies is very small. |
| 0:36.6 | The most insane workplace culture |
| 0:39.2 | in America. The company works seven days per week. The founder lives and sleeps in the office. |
| 0:47.6 | The team have a cafe that was built for them that is open 24 hours a day. |
| 0:54.7 | Two thirds of the first 30 team members have the company logo as a tattoo. |
| 1:00.4 | Welcome to Corgi Insurance, the most insane workplace culture in America. |
| 1:06.7 | Joining me in the hot seat today, their co-founder and CEO Nico, who just closed their latest funding round, |
| 1:13.2 | valuing them at a whopping $2.5 billion. |
| 1:16.8 | But before we dive into the show today, so what if your gym was already home? |
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