Legora AMA
Max Junestrand: Engineering-First Legal AI and Why He Wants the Taste of Blood
Max is 25, has no legal background, and built a $675M legal AI company in under two years. The AMA showed why: he's relentlessly focused on product, dismissive of traditional planning cycles, and refreshingly competitive. 'We wake up with the taste of blood' isn't typical founder-speak - it's a statement of intent.
My Take
Legora represents the new wave of legal tech: engineering-led, design-obsessed, and moving at startup speed in an industry that historically moves at law firm speed. Max's refusal to outsource core engineering and his 'one quarter ahead' planning philosophy would give traditional legal tech vendors heart palpitations. That's probably why they're winning.
Key Insights
On planning in AI
"We plan for about one quarter ahead because AI moves too quickly for traditional long-term roadmaps."
- Max Junestrand
Traditional enterprise software planning is dead in AI. Legora ships faster because they've abandoned the fiction of annual roadmaps. When your underlying technology changes every few months, planning years ahead is just expensive guessing.
On never outsourcing engineering
"We will never outsource engineering. The value resides in the product itself."
- Max Junestrand
This is a strategic bet most legal tech companies get wrong. They outsource to scale faster and end up with a commodity product. Legora's 65-person team in Stockholm is building differentiated product while competitors assemble vendor components. In 3 years, this decision will look prescient.
On competition with Harvey
"Competition just creates better solutions and it creates more hardened and enduring cultures."
- Max Junestrand
The mature answer to the Harvey question. He's not trash-talking the competition - he's acknowledging that the rising tide of legal AI competition benefits everyone building seriously in the space. But make no mistake: 'we want to be number one.'
On the gap between models and products
"The models are at this capability... the products are at like this capability... people are at an even lower capability."
- Max Junestrand
This is the most underappreciated insight in legal AI. Raw model capability outstrips product capability, which outstrips user capability. The winning companies will be those who close the product-to-user gap through design and workflow integration, not just those with the best underlying models.
On fundraising strategy
"The last two rounds of fundraise... was not because we needed the money. It's to make sure that the market knows that we're doing really well."
- Max Junestrand
Fundraising as marketing. He's right - in a competitive market, raising from top-tier investors at premium valuations signals momentum to potential customers. Benchmark, General Catalyst, Iconiq backing tells enterprise buyers this isn't a flash-in-the-pan vendor.
On service beyond software
"There's an enormous amount of service around the product when you implement Legora."
- Max Junestrand
This is the quiet part of legal AI success. Legora deploys legal engineers from Kirkland, Cooley, Baker McKenzie to help firms transform workflows. The software gets you in the door; the services make you sticky. Smart.
Controversial Moments
The Harvey Reddit thread
Multiple sources noted that after criticisms of Harvey surfaced on Reddit, Legora saw increased interest from firms seeking alternatives. Max didn't pile on, but the competitive dynamic was evident.
Founder control despite VC backing
Max revealed he and his co-founder maintain board control (3 seats vs. 2 for investors) despite raising $265M. Unusual for a company at this stage, and it means they can prioritize long-term product over short-term metrics.
Bottom Line
Legora is the European counterweight to Harvey's dominance. Max's engineering-first philosophy and willingness to invest in both product and services creates a formidable competitor. If you're a firm evaluating options, Legora deserves serious consideration - especially if you value product velocity and founder alignment over established brand.