The Fox and the Grapes. It’s one of Aesop’s Fables, and it describes a hungry fox who fails in his attempt to pluck some grapes from a vine, and rather than persisting, he gives up in frustration. Those grapes weren’t worth it anyway, thought the defeated fox, deluding himself into consolation.

The life insurance industry’s relationship to technology is a lot like the fox and the grapes. Traditional manufacturers have been around for a long time, and unfortunately, so have their current technology solutions. The industry clings fast to these platforms with white knuckles, finding any reason not to explore new technology opportunities. “They’re probably not worth it, anyways.”  That lack of internal reinvestment has led to a deluge of new external solutions, insurtechs, and gambits looking to cash in on the arbitrage. Some have real merit, others are Silicon Valley Visigoths seeking plunder. The result is a highly fragmented, disintegrated technology ecosystem broken at every level of the value chain. The producer is left making sense of this confused framework; even worse off are those with a significant managed money or wealth business, because they see what could be if the life insurance space were as mature and organized in its tech capabilities.

The single best resource to assist producers in navigating this madness is the distributor. That’s why The Ridgeback Group prides itself on occupying the intersection of traditional distribution and technology. We embrace tradition—our relationships, our networks, and the value of building a true partnership based on trust and mutual ambition. We also have the humility to know that technology can be a true force multiplier and complement those things (when used rationally and not simply for the sake of it). Because of that, we don’t moonlight as a tech company. It’s our day job. We will act as the technology clearinghouse for our firms; unifying, integrating, securing, and innovating on their behalf.

That’s where our Base Camp comes in. As a one-stop solution for a firm’s needs, it integrates all existing tools to reduce friction and redundant data entry, it unifies all elements of a portfolio into a single, holistic view to prevent the need to swivel-chair, and it’s built with open architecture, allowing for ongoing and persistent innovation.

Let us show you why the marriage between tradition and technology is the right way to confront the future. Trust us, it’s worth it.