Marc Dueck came to us with the working method behind a protection case: what an adviser needs to record, how cover responds when somebody dies or can't work, and how to explain the result to a client.
Alex and I turned those rules into RiskMapped, which we co-own with Marc through the Vu Venture Studio.
The first brief was already detailed
The original brief covered clients, income, spending, assets, debts, dependants and existing protection. The software would model death, critical illness and income loss, calculate each shortfall, add proposed cover and produce a client report.
The brief gave us enough to start building. Marc then used RiskMapped on cases that exposed details we hadn't covered. A mortgage might continue in full after one client's death. Sick pay could change twice before Statutory Sick Pay began. An Income Protection policy might start after its deferment period and finish years before retirement.
We use those timings across the figures, traffic-light status and report. One rule in the wrong place can mark a family as covered on the summary while the detailed page still shows a shortfall.
We kept rebuilding the report
Protection advice ends with a conversation. The adviser has to explain what happens when income stops, how long savings last and what a proposed policy would change. A complete export isn't much use if the client can't follow it across the table.
We've rebuilt the RiskMapped report several times. We replaced long tables with event maps, timelines and before-and-after positions. We reorganised the advice around protecting the home, income and family.
Marc tested each version with joint cases. His notes were specific. Two clients needed to fit on one income page. A reduced surplus should show amber. Current and proposed policies needed separate sections.
We added a Client Outcomes workflow too. RiskMapped keeps the original presentation unchanged, then records what the client accepted, changed, declined or deferred. The Recommendation Pack shows the final decision without rewriting the advice presented in the meeting.
Rules the software has to get right
Statutory Sick Pay
Income Protection can pay alongside SSP. Employer sick pay can offset the benefit, so RiskMapped treats the two separately.
Death in Service
The report acknowledges it as a work benefit. It doesn't count it as dependable cover because a change of job can remove it.
Household debts
A joint mortgage can remain in full for the survivor while a sole debt belonging to the person who died falls away.
Policy timing
Deferment periods, staged sick pay, mortgage end dates and retirement ages create different financial positions over time.
Marc brings the judgement from protection advice. Vu builds and runs the calculation engine, interface, reports and infrastructure.
Our RiskMapped WhatsApp group has its own AI agent, currently known as Marc 2.0. It answers product questions and carries some of Marc's personality, including regular checks that "the maths is mathsing". Marc had some unkind words for version one, so we gave it an upgrade.
Why we used the venture studio model
A fixed-price build would have ended too early. Policy Selection, Client Outcomes and the latest advice packs weren't in the original brief. We saw what was missing when Marc used RiskMapped on cases.
Under the venture model, we keep working past the first build. The industry partner pays a deposit well below the full build cost. We share ownership. The deposit is repaid as agreed revenue targets are reached. Marc brings the industry knowledge and early users. Vu remains responsible for the product.
RiskMapped is now inviting a small group of Founding Users. Approved advisers get two months of access and one-to-one onboarding. Marc and our team will use their cases to decide what to change next.
