Pros
None. Cero. Zilch. Nada. Zero
Cons
Before Everquote acquired our company, we enjoyed nine years of remarkable success as an independent insurance agency. Conversely, Everquote had carved out its niche as a leading provider of insurance leads, fueling the marketplace with a steady stream of prospects. It seemed like a harmonious convergence where supply met demand seamlessly. In mid-2021, rumblings among our leadership hinted at a potential acquisition by Everquote. Soon after, a wave of new faces from Everquote flooded our once humble offices, brimming with promises and stories. Looking back, none of their leadership had the relevant experience to deliver on their ambitious pledges. Our pre-acquisition leadership was seasoned, resilient, and adept at navigating the complexities of insurance-as-a-service, even amidst the disruptive landscape of COVID-19. While many businesses faltered, we not only maintained our revenue but grew it, attracting and retaining top talent throughout the pandemic's uncertainties. Despite our track record, the prospect of Everquote acquiring us presented our founders, executives, and dedicated leadership team with a lucrative exit opportunity after nine years of painstaking growth. However, it soon became evident that it wasn't our company that needed Everquote to sustain our trajectory; rather, it was their company that sought to capitalize on our success to bolster their own. When the news of the acquisition broke to our loyal team of over 100 employees, there was an initial aura of optimism that our combined forces would forge a prosperous future together. However, the initial optimism quickly soured during our first collective meeting as one company, led by Everquote's Head of People Operations via Zoom. The bombshell announcement that fully-subsidized employee benefits would no longer be honored left many reeling, especially those who had joined Everquote for these very benefits. Coincidentally, this same head of People Ops would soon depart for maternity leave, only to announce a swift departure to another company entirely, in hindsight should have hinted at turbulent times ahead where we faced unprecedented headwinds. Meanwhile, our acquired leadership team secured lucrative packages in anticipation of the merger's success, ensuring some protection if their tenure with Everquote proved short-lived. In hindsight, those with lucrative agreements found themselves targeted, leading to a swift exodus of our experienced leadership team. The company that once prided itself on talent retention during acquisitions now seemed bent on shedding valuable expertise from our property and casualty (P&C) team. Their promise of leadership stock benefits "maxing out" after three years hinged on performance targets, yet many saw their benefits devalued as Everquote's stock plummeted. Nearly three years post-acquisition, not a single leader offered these benefits in 2021 remains with the company. The exodus of our original leadership began almost immediately after the ink dried on the merger agreement. Some departed voluntarily, but many were pushed out against their wishes. By then, any remaining termination benefits had dwindled to near insignificance, a bitter irony for those who had once been instrumental in our success. Today, Everquote's acquisition has left them with nothing of value. They have shuttered their direct-to-consumer P&C and health insurance agencies, showcasing a stark contrast to their initial ambitions. Their current website features executives like Garrett Kitch and Eric Terada, whose titles elsewhere might be non-existent or completely made-up, reflecting the mismanagement that drove their acquisitions into the ground. For anyone seeking a stable career in insurance, I urge you to consider alternatives. Everquote's (modestly stated) $50 million loss from our failed acquisition underscores the perils of blind ambition and inept leadership. Just under three years later, almost none of the one hundred employees they acquired still work for, or have good things to say about the company they were bought out by. Until the executive team runs this company into bankruptcy and makes Seth Birnbaum turn over in his grave, seek employment elsewhere.