Standard Draft

Draft and negotiate contracts in a matter of clicks 📃
Please reach out to join the private beta of our agreement acceleration platform

[Ryan Samii @ryanrsamii]

“Programming is like a more precise language than language.”

Will AI adoption in knowledge work follow the same path as AI adoption in software development (where the “GitHub co-pilot effect” has taken hold)?

@bgurley, @altcap, and @levie explore the distinctions within different verticals that weigh on this question.

They point to traits of software development that made it uniquely suited to quick AI adoption:

🔵 a workflow that is contained to a linear text interface (and thus, “perfect for next-line prediction”);

🔵 the fact that most of the knowledge of the software development field is public, open source, and available for training runs;

🔵 the precision of code (love the Bill Gurley quote here, “programming is like a more precise language than language”); and

🔵 the fact that code is automatically and instantly testable.

There are of course many other factors in the mix (e.g., software developers are often more risk-averse and willing to test new technology compared to knowledge workers like lawyers), but the list above is really interesting to consider.

I view each of the traits as tied with one another.

In a vacuum, it would seem like the first trait (linear text interface that is well-suited for next line prediction) would hold true for legal work, like contract drafting. Consider the *many* contract co-pilot products (based in Microsoft Word) that are coming to market.

But clearly the process of drafting and editing a contract (along with many other legal workflows) do not satisfy the “precision” and “automatically and instantly testable” traits of software development.

Does that really matter? And to what extent does that impact how AI tools should be built for legal work?

[Ryan Samii @ryanrsamii]

“For a VC industry that prizes innovation, it is somewhat ironic that the primary development in VC contracting since 2004 is one of standardization.”

A recent paper by Robert Bartlett, a professor at Stanford Law School, examined the standardization of venture capital (VC) contracts since the release of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) model contract forms in 2003.

Shared some thoughts over on LinkedIn!

https://t.co/tSyjAOPhcp

[Ryan Samii @ryanrsamii]

Excited for this event @uclaanderson tomorrow! I'll be sharing thoughts about AI in the legal industry and will demo @StandardDraft's AI functionality. Event link in next tweet.

[Ryan Samii @ryanrsamii]

@StandardDraft is evolving in a more technical direction and we are hiring a Founding Chief Technical Officer, and/or Founding Engineer, to join the team!

Please see here for the job description: https://t.co/aQkWdxRRsX

[Ryan Samii @ryanrsamii]

Shared some thoughts this morning on 'Legal Tech x AI' and the pursuit of dispute avoidance (as opposed to dispute resolution)

https://t.co/wvnYVCzJjn

[Lisa Han @lisabethhan]

Who did I miss in the legal x AI market map? Tag them below ⬇️

We at @lightspeedvp believe now is an exciting time to build in legal tech x AI as a confluence of tech and business factors have finally paved the way for meaningful disruption in the market. https://t.co/x6DKJhvD1p

We've put together some thoughts on:
- The “why now” to build outsized opportunities in legal tech
- Market areas we are most excited about
- Common pitfalls to avoid that we see from founders building in legal x AI
- Musings on the evolution of the industry over time

If you're building in the legal x AI space, I'd love to chat so please reach out :) [email protected]

[Ryan Samii @ryanrsamii]

It started with a late night LinkedIn connection request: "Looks like we're both LA-based early stage legal tech founders. Thought it'd be good to connect!"

From there, a friendship with @baristaatlaw (of @corporahq) was born.

https://t.co/cHFMxH2UwK

[Ryan Samii @ryanrsamii]

In the whirlwind of AI commentary, there’s a growing buzz around its potential in the legal sector.

The title of a recent @NFX article says it all: “AI is Reinventing the Legal Industry”

See here for a breakdown of frameworks to consider!

https://t.co/d4kuhydLPG

[Standard Draft @StandardDraft]

Please follow the @StandardDraft LinkedIn page to stay updated on our developments!

https://t.co/FkxrwehhGC

[Ryan Samii @ryanrsamii]

Today's process of drafting and negotiating contracts – from routine NDAs to commercial MSAs to complex SPAs – is broken.

@StandardDraft accelerates the process of reaching agreement.

More focus on contract decisions at the key point level. Less waste on *everything else*

[Standard Draft @StandardDraft]

We are thrilled with the response, product usage, and conversations that have resulted from our private beta announcement.

Please reach out if you're interested in exploring @StandardDraft!

[Ryan Samii @ryanrsamii]

Fellow denizens of X (rip twitter), I'm very excited to share that @StandardDraft is in private beta!

Please watch this video to learn more about the problem we're solving and to see our initial product in action.

If GIFs are more your speed, then please read the 🧵below!

[Ryan Samii @ryanrsamii]

Interesting times. Yesterday, @balajis tweets about 'copilot for corporations' (thanks for showing me this @callmehouck).

Today, @GundersonLaw, a leading Silicon Valley law firm, announces a Gen AI app (link in next tweet) that seems to cover a lot of what @balajis mentioned.

[Ryan Samii @ryanrsamii]

Ever stumble across a forgotten folder or gdoc and feel the nostalgia of an old project?

From the (actually somewhat recent) archives: designing the @StandardDraft landing page

[Ryan Samii @ryanrsamii]

I'm looking forward to being in NYC next week to speak on a couple panels at the Automation Conference hosted by @EY_US and @LegalTechHub1!

[Ryan Samii @ryanrsamii]

Putting aside the fact that using GPT to produce complex contracts is terrible advice, there seems to be a prevalent view that generating an initial draft is the *only* part of the contract process or the *hardest* part.

This is … inaccurate.

[Ryan Samii @ryanrsamii]

After thousands of hours of working on contracts, interviewing key stakeholders, sharing designs, and building product, I have never been more confident in the @StandardDraft vision.

Simply put, this is a problem worth solving. More updates soon. Stay tuned!

[Ryan Samii @ryanrsamii]

I recently asked ChatGPT to come up with ‘corporate speak’ alternatives to the phrase “in the lab, cooking.” Here’s the best it could do: “in the innovation hub, crafting solutions.”

Terminology aside, the sentiment remains…

[Ryan Samii @ryanrsamii]

Ever wonder why groundbreaking tech can sometimes lead to increased *complexity* instead of increased simplicity? With today's breakneck speed of AI proliferation, should we watch out for contexts where this phenomenon may occur?

History has some lessons for us... 🧵

[Ryan Samii @ryanrsamii]

🎯 The age of 'AI ping-pong' is nearing...

Totally agree with the points made by @prestonjbyrne in this thread. I made a similar argument in an article I wrote back in Dec (linking in the next tweet).

Applying AI to certain legal processes may bury us deeper in dysfunction.

[Ryan Samii @ryanrsamii]

I keep coming across legal tech product demos (particularly AI) highlighting the fact that their solution creates numerous (sometimes countless!) versions of the same contract clause...

Here are 5 alternatives of a Governing Law provision! 10 versions of a Late Payments clause!