“No one wakes up in the morning thinking ‘today I need a shareholders agreement.’ What they want is to raise investment,” observes Anthony Rose, founder of SeedLegals, during a recent Platforum9 session. His insight cuts to the heart of how lawyers need to reimagine their relationship with startup clients.
The Client Perspective
What startup founders actually need goes far beyond legal documents:
- Understanding how to find investors
- Creating effective pitch decks
- Learning the art of storytelling
- Getting data on valuations
- Understanding funding options
Rethinking Legal Services
Rose, who built BBC iPlayer before founding SeedLegals, brings an outsider’s perspective: “For years I was slightly embarrassed that I’m not a lawyer. Now I think it’s liberating because it means you get to think about it differently.” His platform challenges traditional legal service delivery through:
- Five-minute median response times
- Subscription-based pricing
- Always-on platform access
- Integrated team collaboration
The Trust Factor
“Our customers really want to trust us,” Rose emphasizes. Unlike typical sales interactions, startup founders ask fundamental questions about their company’s future: “My investors offer a 6 million valuation, but I reckon it should be 8 million. What do you think?”
The AI Challenge
Rose notes a shifting landscape where founders increasingly use ChatGPT for initial drafts: “People are going to use ChatGPT to get you 90% of the way there, then go to a law firm and say, ‘please check, review, and bless this document.'” This creates both challenges and opportunities for traditional firms.
The Human Element
Despite technology’s advance, Rose finds that “people still want to talk to humans.” Many queries aren’t even legal: “Much of the time, it’s not legal advice, it’s therapy.” This human connection remains crucial, even as service delivery evolves.
As Rose concludes, the future belongs to those who can combine efficient technology with genuine human insight. For lawyers serving startups, this means evolving beyond document production to become trusted advisors who understand both the legal and commercial aspects of building a business.
