A Swedish saying about working hard ("blood smock") was translated literally into an intense, vampire-esque motto. Legora embraced this misunderstanding, fostering a high-intensity culture that they now see as a key differentiator.
For vertical AI applications, foundation models are now sufficiently intelligent. The primary challenge is no longer model capability but building the surrounding software infrastructure—tools, UIs, and workflows—that lets models perform useful work reliably and trustworthily.
Legora intentionally hires people with high learning velocity ("high Y slopes") over deep experience ("high Y intercepts"). In a rapidly evolving AI landscape, this ensures the team can scale their capabilities as exponentially as the company grows.
The unpredictable, rapid evolution of foundation models makes traditional roadmaps obsolete. AI companies like Legora embrace this by operating on a near-daily planning cycle, allowing them to immediately pivot and capitalize on new model capabilities.
In an AI company, product discovery is tied to latent model capabilities. Legora's structure reflects this with a minimal product management layer. Instead, technical, research-led engineering teams directly translate model advancements into customer solutions.
To prevent cultural dilution across its international offices, Legora enforces a strict policy: every new employee, regardless of home location, must fly to its Stockholm headquarters for onboarding to ensure core values are deeply ingrained.
Unlike US startups serving one large market, Legora's Swedish origins necessitated immediate expansion into different countries with unique languages and laws. This built a core competency in multi-market operations, making global expansion a natural next step.
In the AI era, foundation models can render complex, custom-built features obsolete overnight. This requires a culture where teams willingly discard their own hard-built IP without ego, accepting their work has a short shelf life.
In markets with low differentiation, like top-tier law firms, equilibrium is fragile. Once one firm uses AI to gain an edge in speed or cost, it forces an immediate "adopt or die" scenario for competitors, leading to rapid, sector-wide adoption.