You don’t win in innovation by reacting. You win by seeing what’s coming. In this episode of Scouting for Growth, Sabine VanderLinden sits down with Matt Connolly, CEO of Sønr, to explore how structured innovation intelligence is reshaping insurance transformation. Matt always knew he would build something — he just didn’t know what. His first venture, a web design agency launched in 2003, grew into the UK’s number one digital agency within five years. That early success shaped his mindset: push further, push faster, never settle. Those traits — impatience and ambition — can be double-edged. In Matt’s case, they fuelled the creation of Sønr, now the world’s leading InsurTech scouting and open innovation platform. Sønr serves global insurers by aggregating market intelligence, startup ecosystems, competitor activity, and trend analysis — all within a collaborative platform. It reduces duplication, accelerates decision-making, and ensures innovation teams operate from shared insight. But this isn’t just a tech story. It’s a culture story. Matt emphasizes that shaping company DNA is a founder’s greatest responsibility. Vision must be clear. Purpose must be co-created. Pathways must be transparent. When teams buy into the mission, alignment drives momentum. He challenges traditional hiring models. Rather than recruiting for rigid job descriptions, he prefers hiring exceptional talent and then deploying them where they can thrive. Empowered individuals outperform constrained roles. Another key lesson: time horizons distort reality. Entrepreneurs tend to overestimate what they can achieve in one year — and dramatically underestimate what they can build over ten. Platform businesses, especially in conservative industries like insurance, require patience layered on top of urgency. And then there’s culture. Fun is not frivolous. It sustains performance. Celebrating wins, checking in regularly, and encouraging life outside work prevents burnout and builds resilience. Even the most driven founder needs reminders to step back. Sønr’s growth reflects a broader shift: insurers can no longer rely solely on internal R&D. Open innovation, ecosystem scouting, and collaborative intelligence are becoming strategic necessities. This episode is essential listening for: Innovation leaders building structured scouting capabilities Insurance executives seeking competitive foresight Founders scaling B2B platform businesses Boards evaluating long-term innovation strategy Because in a market reshaped by startups and digital acceleration, intelligence is leverage. And the organisations that combine vision, culture, and structured insight will move from reacting to leading. The future doesn’t reward the fastest follower. It rewards the best-informed builder.