From Legal Scholar to Legal Tech CEO: Francisco Duarte's Journey | The Switchers Podcast

Описание: Francisco Duarte, CEO of Lexstream and former legal scholar, shares exactly how he transitioned from traditional academia to building a successful legal tech startup - including the mistakes, financial sacrifices, and breakthrough moments that made it possible.

What You'll Learn:

Career Transition Strategy:
00:00 - Introduction: Why legal professionals are switching to tech entrepreneurship
01:34 - Francisco's credentials: PhD in law, EU policy advisor, professor at Catolica Global School of Law
03:20 - The "private club" realization: When academic impact isn't enough
05:37 - Identifying the gap: Why traditional legal education fails modern learners

The Practical Reality of Switching:
10:40 - Financial survival tactics: Renting out your home, moving back with family, and bootstrapping
13:20 - Pivot strategy: How a failed marketplace idea became a thriving B2B legal education platform
15:50 - Solving real problems: Why law firms rejected PowerPoint and demanded video content
17:50 - The avatar breakthrough: Using AI to overcome poor academic performance on camera
22:00 - Revenue-first approach: Side hustles, client feedback loops, and avoiding VC dependency

Skills Transfer & Learning:
27:37 - Learning to code as a lawyer: Overcoming imposter syndrome and technical barriers
29:40 - Compound knowledge: How legal reasoning translates to Python programming
31:47 - Your unfair advantage: Why lawyers excel at pitching and structured thinking
34:00 - The oral exam training ground: 40 presentations that prepared him for VC pitches

Navigating Dual Careers:
36:00 - Breaking the myth: You don't have to abandon academia to build a startup
38:43 - Bringing tech into the classroom: Teaching GDPR with AR/VR hands-on experience
40:07 - Timing is everything: Why AI disruption makes NOW the best time to switch
42:20 - The 75-80% failure rate: Preparing mentally and financially for the worst case
45:00 - The passion test: When you'd rather work Saturday mornings than sleep in

Actionable Takeaways:
✅ How to validate startup ideas by talking to customers (not building in isolation)
✅ The bootstrapped growth model: Profitability over unicorn dreams
✅ Managing family expectations and getting buy-in for your career leap
✅ Why your legal training is your competitive advantage in tech
✅ The "worst case scenario" framework for making the decision

Partner: Catolica Global School of Law

Perfect for: Lawyers considering career changes | Legal professionals exploring entrepreneurship | Academics interested in edtech | Anyone switching from traditional careers to tech startups | Legal tech enthusiasts