Alan
Alan was founded in Paris in 2016 with an idea that seemed obvious but contained dozens of unverified assumptions: build a digital, transparent health insurance product for European tech companies.
Before writing code, the team conducted what they call internally an "assumption mapping" — a comprehensive list of everything that had to be true for the model to work. Not just the market size, but every individual operational step.
The most critical question: are digital-native employers willing to pay a higher premium for a better experience? Not "is there a market for health insurance" — that was obvious. But this specific segment, at this specific moment, with this specific value proposition?
The team systematically interviewed HR managers and CEOs at Parisian tech companies before opening any conversation with insurers or regulators. The result: yes, the segment existed — but only if Alan guaranteed a radically different experience from incumbents, not just a digital interface.
This shaped the product before it existed. Alan invested in 24-hour reimbursement times and a consumer-grade app before completing its insurance licence. The stress test correctly identified the differentiator that would drive growth.
The real test was not "does the market exist" but "will this specific customer pay a premium for this specific difference".