EPISODE · Jan 29, 2026 · 24 MIN
Underwriting Intelligence: From Fighting PDFs to Building the Future of Risk with Maariyaah Afzal
from GSD Venture Studios Podcasts by Gary Fowler · host GSD Venture Studios
Join Maariyaah Afzal, Founder and CEO of Silas Insurtech, for a fascinating look at the intersection of deep domain expertise and cutting-edge technology. Maariyaah spent years in the trenches at AIG and Lloyd's of London, experiencing firsthand the frustration of spending more time fighting emails and PDFs than analyzing risk. In this episode, she shares her journey of pivoting from underwriting to software engineering to build the solution the industry desperately needed: an AI-driven platform that turns complex documents into structured, decision-ready insights.🎯 Insights You’ll Learn: ✓ The turning point: Moving from a Lloyd's syndicate to learning to code ✓ Why fighting PDFs and emails is the hidden productivity killer in insurance ✓ The Insider Advantage: How domain expertise shapes superior AI products ✓ Why the advent of AI finally made "impossible" insurance solutions a reality ✓ Challenges of introducing innovation to a traditional, conservative sector ✓ Why understanding a user's daily frustration is more valuable than tech alone ✓ Building for the future: Turning unstructured data into structured risk insights🌍 Why This Matters: Insurance is one of the world's most traditional, relationship-driven industries, yet it sits on an ocean of unstructured data that humans can no longer process efficiently. Maariyaah Afzal represents a new breed of founder—the "Insider-Builder"—who doesn't just understand the code, but understands the soul of the business. Her story is a blueprint for how to bridge the gap between legacy systems and the future of intelligent underwriting.👤 Expert Background: • Founder & CEO of Silas Insurtech, an underwriting-intelligence platform • Former Commercial Property Underwriter at AIG and Lloyd’s syndicate • Software Engineer with hands-on experience in building insurance tech • Industry expert in Energy, Specialty, and Commercial Property insurance • Frequent speaker on Applied AI and domain-driven product development🎙️ Hosted by Gary Fowler, CEO of GSD Venture Studios — global AI entrepreneur, investor, and innovation leader spotlighting founders navigating the realities of building in the AI era.💡 Perfect For: Insurtech founders, underwriters, insurance executives, software engineers, and anyone interested in how AI is disrupting traditional, legacy-heavy industries.🚀 Timely Topic: In an era where risk is becoming more complex and data-heavy, the next generation of insurance leaders will be those who stop managing documents and start mastering data.Subscribe for more global founder conversations from GSD Venture Studios: https://gsdvs.com#Insurtech #AIinInsurance #Underwriting #SilasInsurtech #DigitalTransformation #RiskManagement #FounderJourney #GaryFowler #MaariyaahAfzal #GSDVentureStudios
What this episode covers
Join Maariyaah Afzal, Founder and CEO of Silas Insurtech, for a fascinating look at the intersection of deep domain expertise and cutting-edge technology. Maariyaah spent years in the trenches at AIG and Lloyd's of London, experiencing firsthand the frustration of spending more time fighting emails and PDFs than analyzing risk. In this episode, she shares her journey of pivoting from underwriting to software engineering to build the solution the industry desperately needed: an AI-driven platform that turns complex documents into structured, decision-ready insights.🎯 Insights You’ll Learn: ✓ The turning point: Moving from a Lloyd's syndicate to learning to code ✓ Why fighting PDFs and emails is the hidden productivity killer in insurance ✓ The Insider Advantage: How domain expertise shapes superior AI products ✓ Why the advent of AI finally made "impossible" insurance solutions a reality ✓ Challenges of introducing innovation to a traditional, conservative sector ✓ Why understanding a user's daily frustration is more valuable than tech alone ✓ Building for the future: Turning unstructured data into structured risk insights🌍 Why This Matters: Insurance is one of the world's most traditional, relationship-driven industries, yet it sits on an ocean of unstructured data that humans can no longer process efficiently. Maariyaah Afzal represents a new breed of founder—the "Insider-Builder"—who doesn't just understand the code, but understands the soul of the business. Her story is a blueprint for how to bridge the gap between legacy systems and the future of intelligent underwriting.👤 Expert Background: • Founder & CEO of Silas Insurtech, an underwriting-intelligence platform • Former Commercial Property Underwriter at AIG and Lloyd’s syndicate • Software Engineer with hands-on experience in building insurance tech • Industry expert in Energy, Specialty, and Commercial Property insurance • Frequent speaker on Applied AI and domain-driven product development🎙️ Hosted by Gary Fowler, CEO of GSD Venture Studios — global AI entrepreneur, investor, and innovation leader spotlighting founders navigating the realities of building in the AI era.💡 Perfect For: Insurtech founders, underwriters, insurance executives, software engineers, and anyone interested in how AI is disrupting traditional, legacy-heavy industries.🚀 Timely Topic: In an era where risk is becoming more complex and data-heavy, the next generation of insurance leaders will be those who stop managing documents and start mastering data.Subscribe for more global founder conversations from GSD Venture Studios: https://gsdvs.com#Insurtech #AIinInsurance #Underwriting #SilasInsurtech #DigitalTransformation #RiskManagement #FounderJourney #GaryFowler #MaariyaahAfzal #GSDVentureStudios
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Underwriting Intelligence: From Fighting PDFs to Building the Future of Risk with Maariyaah Afzal
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