Simplicity as a Strategy: Rethinking the Insurance Tech Stack with Rob Lewis

In the rapidly evolving world of insurance technology, the loudest voices often advocate for more: more features, more integrations, and more complexity.

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However, Rob Lewis, CEO of Intex Insurance Software, is championing a different path. During a live recording of Risk Management: Brick by Brick at ITC 2025, Lewis sat down with host Jason Reichl to discuss why the ultimate competitive advantage in today's market is actually simplicity.

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The Legacy Trap: Bolted-On Complexity

Lewis identifies a primary struggle for modern insurance carriers: they are often running on technology that is two decades old. Over time, these platforms have become a patchwork of "bolted-on" additions, creating a "swivel chair" environment where risk managers must navigate multiple disparate systems just to access basic data.

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"I think a lot of the industry's been overcomplicated," Lewis explains. "Most of it probably by older software and... everything having to be bolted on and added to a platform that was built twenty years ago."

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The Arabic Proverb: When to Turn Back

The solution isn't always to keep building on top of a flawed foundation. Lewis cites a poignant Arabic proverb: "No matter how far you go down the wrong road, turn back."

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In 2025, turning back means having the courage to rethink the entire tech stack from the ground up. Lewis argues that with the current state of AI—which he describes as "absolutely perfect for the insurance industry"—carriers have a unique opportunity to run modern software in parallel with legacy systems and eventually make a clean break from the "wrong road."

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Closing the "Underloved" Reinsurance Gap

One area where this need for purpose-built simplicity is most evident is in reinsurance. Traditionally, reinsurance software has been an afterthought—often just a standard policy administration system adapted to fit a completely different model.

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Lewis describes the reinsurance sector as "underloved" and underserved. To solve this, Intex launched Reinsure Connect, a platform built specifically for the nuances of reinsurance, such as sliding scale commissions and proportional or non-proportional treaties. By focusing on the highly specific goals of the sector rather than generalist adaptations, technology can finally move at the speed the market requires.

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The Future is Live (and Young)

The shift toward simplicity is driven by a new generation of risk managers who are becoming increasingly technical. These professionals are bypassing traditional broker models to demand direct access to "live and on time" data, such as real-time loss ratios.

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Lewis’s final piece of advice for carriers looking to navigate this transition? Invest in the next generation.

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"Get as many young people in your business as possible," Lewis urges. "The story that millennials are not hardworking is completely incorrect... they're knowledgeable, they know their way around... and I think a lot of them see a very big picture."

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By combining the fresh perspective of young talent with a commitment to purpose-built, simple technology, the insurance industry can finally turn back from the complexities of the past and build a more efficient future. 

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To hear the full discussion on bringing hammers to the ones and zeros, tune in to this episode of Risk Management: Brick by Brick.

👉 Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yc499m8z 

👉 Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/ek9y37a5 

👉 YouTube: https://youtu.be/OC651f2V5XE 

Podcast Host: Jason Reichl
Executive Producer: Don Halliwell

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