Callan Harrington is the Founder and CEO of Flashgrowth, a revenue consulting company that helps insurtechs build predictable and scalable sales and marketing machines. Callan was interviewed by Chris Luiz, CEO and Co-Founder at Scout InsurTech.

Callan, can you describe what an agency truly represents within a community?
“An agency often serves as a pillar within its community, especially in smaller towns. Agents play a significant role by sponsoring local sports teams, organizing fundraisers and supporting various community initiatives. In these tight-knit areas, most residents rely on their local agent for insurance, creating a sense of loyalty. People often stick with their agent because switching might feel awkward or disloyal within the community. This dynamic underscores the agent's deep integration into the social and economic fabric, similar to how a single attorney or accountant might serve as a trusted resource for most of the community's needs.”
What are some common misunderstandings you see in the tech industry about the role of agencies and carriers?
“A recurring misconception is that technology will replace agents and carriers. Over the past 10–15 years, we’ve heard predictions like, ‘Google or Tesla will disrupt the industry and make agents obsolete.’ But the reality is quite different. Most insurtech companies that began with direct-to-consumer models eventually shifted toward working with agencies.
This industry is incredibly complex, and for good reason. Even small insurance carriers generate billions in annual revenue, and drastic changes can significantly impact financials, loss ratios and other critical metrics. While it might seem like straightforward problems from the outside, once you're immersed in the industry, you quickly realize how challenging they are to address effectively.”
How has your background as an agent influenced your approach to building and selling tech products?
“Starting as a producing insurance agent gave me invaluable perspective. I worked from the ground up—relying on referrals, cold calling and gradually building a book of business. That experience was humbling. I initially thought I’d excel right away, but it was far more difficult than I anticipated.
This background gave me deep respect and understanding for what agents go through daily. When speaking with agencies, brokers or carriers, I could genuinely relate to their challenges, having experienced them firsthand. That empathy shaped my approach to building solutions that truly address their needs.”
What distinguishes successful insurtech companies from those that struggle in selling to agencies?
“It comes down to empathy and humility. Successful insurtech companies deeply understand their customers and approach them empathetically. Many founders in this space are incredibly intelligent and come from top schools or backgrounds. However, this can go one of two ways: One, some founders enter the industry thinking they know more than the people who’ve worked in it for decades, leading to solutions that miss the mark.
Or two, others combine their tech expertise with humility, asking thoughtful questions, listening carefully and understanding the challenges agents and brokers face. The best insurtechs use feedback-to-design solutions that address the root problems, not just what customers explicitly ask for. They balance innovation with the practicalities of how agencies operate.”
Why is it crucial for insurtech founders to spend time in agency offices, and how does this impact development cycles?
“Spending time in agency offices is essential to understand how these businesses truly function. I’ll share an example: At one point, we were launching a new insurtech product. We conducted extensive customer research and interviews with prospective agencies, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Everyone said, ‘If you build this, we’ll use it.’
However, when we launched the product, adoption was low. While agency owners and executives were excited, the staff—the people actually using the product—found it didn’t fit their workflows. It didn’t make sense in practice.
To address this, we visited agencies in person. It created excitement and a rallying point for adoption. But, more importantly, it revealed critical insights. By observing day-to-day operations, we saw how workflows functioned in reality. It became obvious why our initial design didn’t work—it disrupted established processes and habits.
This firsthand experience dramatically improved our product roadmap, allowing us to make changes that aligned with actual workflows. We also recognized a common challenge: agency principals might be early adopters, but their staff—many of whom have been in the business for decades—are often resistant to change. By showing empathy and tailoring solutions to these dynamics, we saw adoption rates improve significantly.”