Software Engineering Daily

Docusign for Developers with Dan Selman and Larry Jin

Feb 18, 2025

In this insightful discussion, Dan Selman, Product Architect at DocuSign, and Larry Jin, VP of Product Management, explore the evolving landscape of digital agreements. They highlight the complexities involved in scaling agreement management and introduce DocuSign's new developer API aimed at streamlining this process. The conversation dives into the role of AI and automation in transforming contract management, the challenges of data anonymization in sensitive industries, and the crucial part developers play in enhancing eSignature solutions for agile contract workflows.

45:10

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Episode guests

Larry Jin

Dan Selman

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Digital advancements have streamlined the signing of agreements, but outdated management practices still cost organizations an estimated $2 trillion annually.

The integration of AI and machine learning technologies in agreement processes presents transformative opportunities for automation, efficiency, and risk mitigation.

Deep dives

The Role and Evolution of Agreements

Agreements and contracts are essential in our daily transactions and major financial decisions, serving as a framework for clarity and accountability. Digital advancements have made it easier to sign agreements, transitioning from cumbersome paper processes to more streamlined digital formats. However, many aspects of agreement management still remain outdated and fragmented, hindering efficiency across various industries. This illustrates the significant opportunities for innovation in the ecosystems of agreements and contracts, which continuously affect everyday life, from personal rentals to professional transactions.

Intro

2min

Exploring the Opportunities in Agreement Management

2min

Transforming Contract Management: From Paper to Intelligent Solutions

5min

Transforming Agreement Management: From Paper to Digital

20min

Challenges of Data Anonymization in Sensitive Industries

2min

Integrating eSignature Solutions: Developers' Role and Future Innovations

15min

Agreements and contracts are a fundamental innovation and govern everything from personal commitments to major financial decisions. They function as trusted artifacts to capture the nature of a commitment and provide clarity and accountability. Software has revolutionized many business functions, including the basic mechanics of digitally signing an agreement. However, the process of managing agreements systematically and at scale with type definitions, programmatic document creation, and storage schemas remains a complex and largely unsolved challenge.

Dan Selman is the product architect at Docusign and was previously co-founder and CTO of the Smart Agreements Platform, Clause. Larry Jin is the VP of Product Management at Docusign and previously worked at Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. Docusign recently released a developer API focused on fully modernizing and scaling the agreements process. In this episode, Dan and Larry joined Sean Falconer to talk about the frontier of digital agreements.

Full Disclosure: This episode is sponsored by Docusign.

Sean’s been an academic, startup founder, and Googler. He has published works covering a wide range of topics from AI to quantum computing. Currently, Sean is an AI Entrepreneur in Residence at Confluent where he works on AI strategy and thought leadership. You can connect with Sean on LinkedIn.