- Nico Laqua revealed Corgi's intense work culture including 7-day weeks and 3-4 hours sleep
- Corgi reached a $2.6 billion valuation shortly after its 2024 founding and Series B funding
- Employees share strong company alignment, with some getting Corgi logo tattoos
Nico Laqua, co-founder of AI insurance startup Corgi, has sparked a fierce debate in the tech world after revealing the intense work culture behind the company's rapid rise. Speaking on the 20VC podcast, Laqua described a routine that includes working seven days a week, sleeping just three to four hours a night, and living inside the company's office.
Founded in 2024, Corgi has grown at breakneck speed. The company achieved unicorn status in May after raising a Series B round at a $1.3 billion valuation. Just three weeks later, it secured additional funding that doubled its valuation to $2.6 billion, Business Insider reported.
The Intense Routine
Laqua credits much of that growth to an uncompromising work ethic. He revealed that he sleeps on a mattress in the office and even built a 24-hour cafe inside the building because nearby coffee shops did not stay open late enough. For basic amenities such as showers, he relies on luxury fitness clubs, including Equinox.
The startup's culture is more than its founder. In a bizarre testament to company alignment, Laqua told podcast host Harry Stebbings that two-thirds of Corgi's earliest employees actually got tattoos of the company's logo.
Laqua also said he looks for employees who share the same level of commitment. Candidates are reportedly required to complete weekend work trials, helping the company identify people willing to embrace a seven-day work schedule rather than a traditional five-day week.
One of the interview's most controversial moments came when Stebbings asked whether he would prefer building a trillion-dollar company and dying at 50, or watching the company fail and living until 80. "The answer to that is pretty easy... I'm dying either way. I would rather measure my lifespan in victories than years," Laqua said.
He believes that solving the world's hardest problems requires radical sacrifice, stating that whatever can be achieved in 5 days, more will always get done in 6 or 7.
Industry Reactions
The comments quickly spread across the startup ecosystem, drawing both admiration and criticism. Supporters, particularly among some AI founders and investors, viewed Laqua's approach as the kind of obsession needed to build transformational companies during the AI boom.
Critics, however, described the culture as unsustainable and potentially harmful. Many questioned the glorification of sleep deprivation and extreme work hours, arguing that exhausted leaders are more likely to make poor decisions. Others pointed to the tattoo culture and mandatory weekend trials as signs of an unhealthy workplace environment.
