BE THAT LAWYER Joe Jones: What It Takes to Shift from Lawyer to Founder
In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Joe Jones discuss:
- The transition from traditional legal practice to entrepreneurship
- Strategies for evaluating and managing professional risk
- Tools and systems that support solo and startup legal ventures
- The mindset and preparation needed to pursue legal tech innovation
Key Takeaways:
- Successfully transitioning from law firm practice to a tech-driven startup can be less daunting when done gradually, by maintaining income and slowly validating the new concept before fully stepping away.
- Fear of entrepreneurial failure can be reduced by building out clear backup plans—even unconventional ones—to provide psychological safety and optionality during uncertain times.
- Implementing automated scheduling systems and encouraging clients to use them can significantly reduce administrative burden, lower phone interruptions, and create a more organized and prepared client experience.
- New product ideas should be tested not by pitching, but by asking target users how they currently solve the problem, which leads to more honest feedback and uncovers existing competitors or gaps in the market.
"There’s just so many tools out there that you can get that aren’t very expensive, that take a huge headache away from you." — Joe Jones
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Episode References:
The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick: https://www.amazon.com/Mom-Test-customers-business-everyone/dp/1492180742
About Joe Jones: Joe Jones is a board-certified personal injury trial lawyer, the Co-Founder and CEO of StreamSettle, and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran with a driving passion for resolving conflict. From his early days in his law school's Mediation Clinic to serving as a Judge Advocate in the Marines, Joe has been helping people find solutions to their legal disputes.
After a successful run managing a Houston office for a top Texas personal injury firm and making partner, Joe's entrepreneurial spirit led him to launch Joe Jones Law Firm. But he didn't stop there. Seeing a need for innovation, he co-founded StreamSettle with his wife Chrysa—a software solution shaking up the dispute resolution world.
When he's not working, Joe is all about family, cheering on Texas A&M and Houston sports teams, playing music, and hitting the slopes.
Connect with Joe Jones:
Website: https://streamsettle.com/
Email: jjones@streamsettle.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-jones-9802a3a/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/streamsettle
Connect with Steve Fretzin:
LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin
Twitter: @stevefretzin
Instagram: @fretzinsteve
Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.
Website: Fretzin.com
Email: Steve@Fretzin.com
Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!
YouTube: Steve Fretzin
Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911
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