The Twenty Minute VCThe Most Intense Workplace Culture in America | The Journey from $0 to $2.6BN Valuation
Episode Details
EPISODE INFO
- Released
- May 30, 2026
- Duration
- 56m
- Channel
- The Twenty Minute VC
- Watch on YouTube
- ▶ Open ↗
EPISODE DESCRIPTION
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. ----------------------------------------------- Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:14 Fear of Losing vs Hunger to Win 03:37 Going to University Was My Biggest Mistake 07:34 Working 7 Days a Week 08:57 How Work Trials Filter Out the Wrong People 12:42 Why Nico Wants to Build the Most Important Company in the World 12:49 He Actually Lives in the Office 22:04 Why London Could Become the Center of AI Outside the US 26:46 Learning From the Greats: Napoleon, Alexander & Startup Culture 30:08 Is It Possible to Stay This Intense at 1,000 People? 34:46 Raising $150M: What Nico Looks for in Investors 45:12 AI Makes Sales & Marketing More Important, Not Less 48:20 Boards Are Mostly Theatrical 49:16 OpenAI vs. Anthropic 53:15 Are VCs Responsible for the Rise in Startup Fraud? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3j2KMcZTtgTNBKwtZBMHvl?si=85bc9196860e4466 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-twenty-minute-vc-20vc-venture-capital-startup/id958230465 Follow Harry Stebbings on X: https://twitter.com/HarryStebbings Follow Nico Laqua on X: https://twitter.com/nico_laqua Follow 20VC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/20vchq Follow 20VC on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@20vc_tok Visit our Website: https://www.20vc.com Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.thetwentyminutevc.com/contact ----------------------------------------------- #20vc #harrystebbings #startup
SPEAKERS
Nico Laqua
guestCo-founder and CEO of Corgi Insurance.
Harry Stebbings
hostFounder and host of The Twenty Minute VC (20VC).
EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of The Twenty Minute VC, featuring Nico Laqua and Harry Stebbings, The Most Intense Workplace Culture in America | The Journey from $0 to $2.6BN Valuation explores corgi CEO defends extreme work culture, growth tactics, investor views Laqua argues elite startups require maximal intensity (often 7 days/week) and that culture should explicitly repel people who want strict weekends off.
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