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Startup Corner: Meggan Capps, Alterna Legal Inc.

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Minimally viable product …
We are a hybrid between a traditional staffing company and a technology company that connects companies and law firms with legal talent, on-demand and on budget.

Problem solving …
We help companies and law firms stay flexible and nimble by using on-demand attorneys and staff through our network rather than adding unnecessary overhead and legal spend to their books. (It could be) a special project or a litigation matter with an obvious beginning and end date.

Seed money …
Fortunately, we began to generate revenue as soon as we opened our virtual doors. We all put in capital (and plenty of sweat equity!) to develop our website and (customer relationship management), but since our incorporation in 2015 we’ve been able to bootstrap.

Hurdles overcome …
We operate in an industry that is slow to innovate, which is understandable. What I love about the law is that it is seeped in tradition and rules, but the flip side of that is methodical change. My partners and I come from different corners: One was chief revenue officer for a well-known gaming company, another spent 15 years at a large law firm in San Francisco and another was general counsel of a large fintech company for 17 years in New York. I’m a Springfield-area native who spent 13 years in legal staffing in New York and San Francisco, but I still think of business through the Main Street lens. Thus, we have very differing opinions on how fast to grow, whether to consider investment capital, and how far to push our clients to embrace technology and innovation. The last two years have taught us that fighting among ourselves about this is actually good, because our varying opinions have allowed us to embrace change but in a way that is understandable within the legal community.

Next phase …
Scale, scale, scale. Take our current business model, employ new technology and grow while keeping our rates reasonable.

Biggest mistake …
Pivoting too often. Every time we landed a big deal or realized significant buy-in to our ideas, we wanted to go full steam ahead and become whatever that particular client wanted us to be. But that just confuses people, so it’s best to stick to your original idea until revenue generation pushes you to outgrow it or you realize it’s not working.

Best/worst advice received …
Don’t take it all too seriously or personally and to stay true to your vision. When it’s your own company, it’s easy to co-mingle your personal identity with the brand and get defensive when someone doesn’t embrace your ideas. We didn’t take the worst advice, which would have been taking investment capital before we needed it. Don’t give up seats at the table if you don’t have to do that.

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