This week we have a special episode - Live from the ITC 2026 expo floor. Mav Founder + CEO Matthew Black and Head of Brand Hillary Black grab ten minutes in the official podcast studio between booth shifts to report on what actually changed in insurance this year.

Every vendor is still pitching their version of AI for insurance. But what’s changed this year is the agency owners.

On the table: why GPT helped the first five minutes of every sales conversation finally disappear for companies in AI, the commercial agency strategy for quickly moving into personal lines without hiring, evidence that Mav has the coolest booth in the tradeshow circuit, and Matthew's prediction for where the insurance product itself is headed in the next year.

Chapters

00:00 — Intro

00:16 — Live from the ITC 2026 expo floor

01:17 — The coolest booth on the circuit

02:45 — "X for AI," three years later

03:40 — The agency owner has changed

05:07 — The old guys in the back

06:19 — From "I don't text" to "how do I grow?"

07:04 — Commercial agencies moving into personal lines

08:28 — A prediction for next year

09:37 — Why doesn't insurance just come with the car?

10:05 — Insurance like shipping on Amazon

10:44 — Close: see you at ITC 2027

Hosts

Matthew Black — Founder + CEO, Mav

Hillary Black — Head of Brand and Conversation Design, Mav

Links and Resources

ITC Vegas (InsureTech Connect), the world's largest insurance innovation event

Toyota Insurance, the automaker-owned agency selling coverage alongside the car

Follow the show

Manual Work is a Bug is Mav's podcast, now on video. Watch on YouTube and follow wherever you listen, so you don't wait another six years for the next episode. Mav helps insurance agencies grow their book with AI: hiremav.com.

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