Second, we want to thank our investors. We want to thank them for believing in us. From 0 to 1 is darn hard. After pitches and pitches, after being questioned, turned down, and even laughed at, we finally found a handful of believers who believe in our vision, and decided to invest in us. We can’t describe our gratitude for those who poured their blood, sweat, and money in us. We promise we will spend it responsibly. It’s easy to bump into NaySayers who just can’t hedge enough for what-ifs. It’s so hard to find believers who want to give you a chance. And for this reason, we will be forever grateful for our seed investors.
Last but not least, we want to thank our team. Instead of (in some cases in addition to) money investment, our team chose to invest in us by putting in the hard work. It’s so difficult to start from scratch, with no light at the end of the tunnel. However, our team, with our vision and guidance, manage to see that light in the darkness. They choose to believe in Sleegal AI, choose to believe in us. They put in the sweat and blood, with no sight of immediate reward or return. They think out of the box. They ask really good questions. They come up with new ideas. They go the extra mile. We really can’t thank this team enough. Thank you for crushing it, and let’s crush it even more in 2021!
2020 has been a very dark year. People are dying. Trips canceled. Restaurants closed. Working from home with no human interaction. However, the most trying moments often bring the most promising opportunities. In Chinese, the word crisis has two meanings: danger and opportunity. With Covid closing down the whole world, we believe that new trends are emerging. Instead of getting a consultation in a lawyer’s office, maybe now you can just chat with our bot. Instead of calling, maybe you can just jog down some notes and get a response in 24 hours. The old way of doing things is changing, and whoever that’s not catching on the train will be left behind. That’s why we are here, to revolutionize the hundred-year-old legal industry, and to change the status quo. We are hopeful. We are optimistic. We believe that the best is yet to come. Together, as humanity, we will conquer the difficulties we are facing today and bring new ways of thinking, doing, and being. Digital is the trend, artificial intelligence is the trend, machine learning is the trend. Catch the wave, and don’t get left behind.
We have worked at large and small companies. The key to it all is to continuously innovate. We have seen companies like Motorola resting on their laurels, and getting thrown off the throne. We’ve also seen companies like Netflix and Blackberry, who manage to innovate from within and reinvent themselves to fit the changing circumstances and become king again. Innovation is hard, especially done from within. That’s why many industries need disruptors like ourselves, who take nothing for granted, who have learned from the best, and who will not settle for mediocrity. Innovation is a DNA, and is a blood type. it’s almost impossible to ingest. Either you have the spirit or you don’t. We are here to innovate the legal industry and to show our rivals how it’s done in today’s technology-dominated world. Wake up or not, we are coming.
Despite everything we have written above, we have also seen how it goes the other way. When people get too cocky. When people start to burn cash without hitting actual deliverables or acquire actual customers. When professional CEOs are hired, but only for a beauty contest, without delivering results. We will try not to go there. We will try really hard. We will always put the customers first, hold ourselves and our team accountable, and deliver a product that delights our users. No lip service. No corporate bullshit. No form over substance. Because we have seen how bad could play out, we will forever remind ourselves to stay humble and hungry.