In a paper published in American Scientist in 1973, Herbert Simon and William Chase drew one of the most famous conclusions in the study of expertise:
There are no instant experts in chess—certainly no instant masters or grandmasters. There appears not to be on record any case (including Bobby Fischer) where a person reached grandmaster level with less than about a decade's intense preoccupation with the game. We would estimate, very roughly, that a master has spent perhaps 10,000 to 50,000 hours staring at chess positions… American Scientist, Skill in Chess, Volume 61 Number 4, July-August 1973, Herbert Simon & William Chase
In the years that followed, an entire field within psychology grew up devoted to elaborating on Simon and Chase’s observation—and researchers, time and again, reached the same conclusion: it takes a lot of practice to be good at complex tasks.
With more than 37 years of business insurance and bonding experience—that's over 77,000 hours—D.S. Blum, Inc. has reached grandmaster level within the insurance industry
D.S. Blum, Inc. is a Chicago area based specialty “boutique” insurance agency focusing on a specific business category, construction. We don’t try or claim to be all things to all people.
Our primary business practice is focused on specialized industry segments and product lines:
- Environmental Remediation Insurance
- Environmental Remediation Contract Bonds
- General Construction Contract Bonds
- Contractors Professional Liability Insurance
We are centrally located in the metropolitan Chicago area, servicing clients from Vermont to Florida, to Texas and California and many other states. The agency is founded and led by David S. Blum, who since 1983 has dedicated his career to the insurance and bonding needs of contractors. He has the knowledge, skills and industry respect necessary to effectively act on your behalf.
With almost 4 decades of experience, practicing at the highest ethical standards and having the business acumen to get things done, D.S. Blum, Inc. provides representation in the following areas:
Area’s of Concentration
- Insurance for Environmental Remediation Contractors & Professionals - We market and place Commercial General Liability, Contractor Pollution Liability, Professional Liability, Automobile, Workers’ Compensation, Excess Liability, Property and Inland Marine and other miscellaneous insurance coverages. Learn More
- Bid & Performance Bonds for Remediation and Other Contractors - D.S. Blum, Inc. is set to assist contractors who are active with projects requiring bonding, but don’t feel they are being represented to their full potential, and also to assist contractors who have never had an opportunity to secure a bond, in building their profiles in order to secure bonding. Learn More
- Contractors and Site-Specific Pollution Liability - For operations where a pollution condition can emanate from a specific location. Learn More
- Contractors Errors & Omissions/Professional Liability - Coverage designed to protect firms from claims alleging faulty workmanship, design errors or omissions, and the use of defective materials or products. Learn More
- Other Services - D.S. Blum will assist your risk manager in an independent review of your current insurance program or assist in qualifying a new insurance representative. Learn More