In the latest episode of the Leadership in Insurance Podcast, host Dan Briselden sits down with Stan Smith, CEO and founder of Gradient AI — one of the fastest-growing AI platforms in the insurance industry — for a wide-ranging conversation on data, decisioning, and what it actually takes to build something that sticks in this market.
Stan is a six-time startup veteran who came to insurance not from the industry itself, but from a deep belief that machine learning could solve problems most insurers didn't yet know how to articulate. His route in — through Milliman's franchise model and a patient, trust-first approach to data partnerships — is one of the most instructive origin stories in InsurTech.
In this episode, Stan and Dan explore:
🔹 How Stan leveraged Milliman's brand to unlock carrier data at a time when no one was handing it over — and why that decision became the foundation of Gradient's competitive moat
🔹 The real ROI numbers: from single-digit millions on smaller books to 10x returns confirmed by clients' own internal data science teams and why Stan measures success by value delivered, not just revenue earned
🔹 How Gradient navigated the journey from MGA-focused startup to large carrier partner, and why the warmest first carrier deals came through MGAs using their paper
🔹 Where AI is genuinely replacing human effort in insurance and where Stan believes human judgement will always be the differentiator, from complex claims to nuanced underwriting calls
🔹 The governance and bias challenge in AI-powered underwriting, and why Stan thinks regulators will increasingly focus on what data models are fed, not just how they work
Stan also shares his vision for where Gradient is heading next — from individual healthcare lines like Medicare Advantage and MedSupp through to disability and life — and why he believes there has never been a better time to be building AI in insurance.
If you work in underwriting, claims, or insurance technology — or if you're trying to understand what AI adoption actually looks like at scale across the carrier and MGA market — this episode is packed with hard-won insight from someone who has been building in this space for over a decade.