The Diff | Byrne Hobart | Substack

While Lemonade’s growth has been steep, so too has its learning curve. At the end of 2017, its loss ratio—the amount it pays in claims divided by the premiums it collects—was an unsustainable 166%, compared to 65% to 70% for large insurers.

This locks toy companies into a challenging bet. Every year, they have to a) predict trends, b) invent them, and c) commit capital to them. All without knowing how the rest of the year will turn out. Since toy trends exist, but don’t last for very long, they have to invent new products every year—but the technological state of the art doesn’t advan... See more

The company takes 25% of insurance premium revenue for administrative costs and potential profits. The other 75% is used to fund customer claims, buy reinsurance (laying off some risk) and pay certain taxes and fees, with anything left going to charities that customers choose. The social-compact pitch: Lemonade can’t profit from denying legit claim... See more

Rather than sell policies backed by established insurers (the way fintech competitors Hippo and Jetty do), Lemonade would become a licensed carrier itself, retaining claim liability on its own balance sheet.