Steve Gluckman, a pioneer in legal e-learning, discusses his journey from PwC to founding SkillBurst Interactive. He reflects on the importance of timing in business innovations and the emotional journey of entrepreneurs post-acquisition. Gluckman shares insights about building customizable e-learning solutions for law firms and how he navigated the challenges of identity after selling his company. The conversation also touches on leadership, work-life balance, and the evolving landscape of legal education, highlighting the need for adaptability in today's market.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Post-Acquisition Emptiness
Steve Gluckman felt an unexpected emptiness after selling SkillBurst despite the achievement.
He compared his journey to sending his daughter to college and losing his CEO identity.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Deciding To Sell SkillBurst
Steve never set a fixed exit goal but stayed open to acquisition talks over time.
Barbri's global reach and care for his team made them a good fit for acquisition.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Early Career and Market Timing
Steve’s career began teaching consultants at PwC before moving into corporate training tech.
An early attempt to bring e-learning to law firms failed as the industry wasn’t ready, but later success came when timing aligned.
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Jim Collins and Jerry Porras's "Built to Last" examines the characteristics of visionary companies, those that have sustained exceptional performance over long periods. The authors identify key principles that contribute to long-term success, including a strong core ideology, a focus on innovation, and a commitment to continuous improvement. They analyze a range of companies across various industries, identifying common patterns and best practices. The book provides valuable insights for leaders seeking to build enduring and successful organizations. "Built to Last" has become a classic in the field of business strategy.
Leadership on the Line
Ronald Heifetz
Marty Linsky
Scaling Up
How a Few Companies Make It… and Why the Rest Don’t
Verne Harnish
This book, written by Verne Harnish, provides a comprehensive framework for scaling businesses. It focuses on the four major decision areas every company must get right: People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. The book includes the updated One-Page Strategic Plan and the Rockefeller Habits Checklist, which have been used by over 40,000 firms to scale successfully. Harnish draws on decades of experience advising CEOs and executives, emphasizing the importance of routines, effective meetings, and clear communication to drive business growth and maintain organizational health[1][3][4].
In this episode of Lawyers Who Learn, David Schnurman, CEO of Lawline, has a conversation with Steve Gluckman, a pioneer in legal e-learning who recently sold his company SkillBurst Interactive to Barbri. Though not a lawyer himself, Steve has spent over two decades developing innovative training solutions for law firms.
Steve shares his entrepreneurial journey from his early days at PwC to founding SkillBurst in 2013, which created customizable, interactive e-learning modules for law firms. He discusses the challenges of timing in business innovation, explaining how his first attempt at legal e-learning was too early for market adoption, but years later the industry was ready, leading to SkillBurst's success.
The conversation explores the post-acquisition emotional journey many entrepreneurs face, with Steve candidly discussing the unexpected emptiness he felt after selling his company. He reflects on how much of his identity was wrapped up in being a CEO and the process of figuring out "what's next" while already working on a new stealth-mode venture.
Throughout the episode, Steve offers valuable insights into building a successful business in the legal tech space, including his approach to product development, the importance of securing buy-in before building, and how making products "sticky" through customization led to impressive client retention rates. The discussion wraps up with thoughts on leadership and work-life balance, with both hosts sharing their perspectives on building businesses that create personal freedom.
Lawyers Who Learn 
