By Gideon Galloway, founder and CEO of the King Price Financial Services group

13 years ago, I walked into a meeting with potential investors carrying a plastic crown, a box of koeksisters… And a dream: An insurance company that’s fun, fearless, and fundamentally different.

That was my forty-third pitch and, luckily, they liked what I was saying. King Price was started with a great deal of their funding and belief, the proceeds from selling my house and car, and exactly 13 people. Now, on our thirteenth birthday, we have more than 1,500 employees, 4 thriving businesses in 3 countries, and a 48% annual growth to our name.

Here are 13 learnings that helped get us to where we are today:

Culture doesn’t eat strategy, it feeds it: Your culture is the heart of your business. It shapes every interaction, every decision, every outcome. Nurture it. Celebrate it. And surround yourself with people who’ll add to it, not just fit into it.

The right people beat the perfect plan: A brilliant idea with the wrong people will fail. A rough idea with the right people will refine into something remarkable.

A little crazy goes a long way: From premiums that decrease monthly as your car loses value, to R1 insurance for your golf clubs, we’ve learned that calculated craziness gets you noticed… And remembered.

Don’t take yourself too seriously: But, take what you do very seriously. Fun is a superpower; trust is everything.

Disruption without reason is just decoration: We don’t innovate for the sake of page 1 headlines. We disrupt to create real value. Whether it’s rethinking pricing, designing products differently, showing in unexpected ways, or talking to our clients like they’re also our friends, our goal isn’t to show up. We’re here to shake things up.

Distribution is as important as disruption: You can have the most innovative product in the world, but if it doesn’t solve your clients’ real needs, and meet them where they are, you may as well go home. We’ve invested as much in making our insurance relevant and accessible as we have in our bold ideas.

If you’re not failing, you’re not trying hard enough: We’ve had our fair share of misfires. But each 1 taught us something, sharpened our focus, and pushed us forward. Remember that success is temporary and so is failure, and don’t let either go to your head.

Digital isn’t the future. It’s the now: From AI to automation, tech is transforming how we work, how we serve, and how we grow. You either lead the change or get left behind.

Data is gold… If you know how to use it: Insight-driven decisions beat gut feel. Don’t lose your gut entirely, though, it got you this far.

People want purpose: Today’s employees and clients want to be part of something meaningful. Give them that, and they’ll stick around. Also, stand for something, and then stand taller. Business can, and should, be a force that drives real impact.

Insurance isn’t boring. You are: If you think your industry is dull, you’re not looking hard enough. There’s always a new story to tell, a smarter way to work, a bigger problem to solve.

Growth isn’t just scale, it’s also depth: We’ve expanded across product lines and borders, but we’ve realised that real growth is when your values grow with you, your people grow beside you, and your clients grow because of you.

It’s not about our crown: We love that we’ve earned the title of ‘king of insurance’, but it’s ultimately not about the accolades, it’s about the people who wear our royal red. I’m proud of what we’ve built, but prouder still of our passionate, talented family that makes it all happen.

After 13 years of learning and growing, we’re not a start-up anymore. But we’re still an entrepreneurial business at heart: Restless, responsive, and ready to pivot when the world changes or our clients need something different. That’s the edge that sorts businesses that are thriving from those that are just surviving.