This Mumbai-based young innovation lawyer “Keeps it Legal!”
Intellexsys Legal Solutions specializes in providing legal solutions in the field of intellectual property rights, franchise law, business laws, media law and information technology laws across the Globe. Their aim is to provide complete brand protection solutions with a litigation-free approach and cost-effective value-additional services.
Intellexsys was founded on 1s June, 2015. We are publishing an interview with Adv. Roshni Lachhwani, Founding Attorney – Intellexsys Legal Solution:
Q.: What is the problem you are trying to solve? Please share with us any insights that led you to believe that this is a big enough problem?
Ans: Intellectual Property, as we know, is the creation of the mind and thus, regarding legal protection to it is subjective to the perception of different individuals. Every business, inventor and author is concerned with intellectual property as goodwill plays an important role in sustaining business. Honest opinions from a branding and legal standpoint were astray and that’s what Intellexsys brings to the table. Anyone can file for obtaining intellectual property rights registration. However, constructive branding and legal consultation, if overlooked can be harmful to the brand at the outset.
Q.: Please tell us about the founders
Ans: Adv. Roshni Lachhwani, Founding Attorney – Intellexsys Legal Solutions. It all started with this word “Intellectual Property” and being the curious person that I am, I found myself enrolling for a course with keen interest immediately! One thing led to another.
The legal consultancy business hit like a tonne of bricks. It was planned yet premature but the success came as a sweet surprise! Legal requirements for businesses are growing by the second, and what’s important to young and established businesses is to get honest legal advice for the price paid. Further, no business wants to tie its growth to litigation simply for being unaware of how intellectual property rights work has become a pre-requisite for businesses across the globe. That’s precisely where my business, Intellexsys Legal Solutions, fit the bill.
Q.: List all the names of the core Team Members, along with their Designated Roles – How you see them evolving over time. What would be each of their Skill Sets? – Elaborate also if any of the team members has a specific domain expertise.
Ans: We have commissioned/project basis recruitments for managing patent drafting from different domains with domain expertise and interns for intellectual property related hearing and administrative issues. To reduce excessive dependence on interns for administrative work, Intellexsys has designed a mobile application and an automated standard format document generation system online with app-based invoicing to keep it simple and quick. Any customer can download the APP to view the current status of all the applications filed in their name which has streamlined my processes with regards to sending e-mails/SMS for constant changes in the status of an application. Further, a link which is available on my website upon request allows customers to create drafts of standard process related document within a few seconds by filling a small form to execute with pre-defined instructions. This keeps the management of work efficient.
Q.: Tell us about the Product / Solution. How did you get your first customer? Explain how you went about the Product-Market Fit Process.
Ans: Our solution is unmarketable. Lawyers cannot advertise their services and thus, a strong recommendation by a trusted person got us our first client! However, we have extended information through various social mediums using infographics, videos, webinars, seminars and so on to spread the word on IP.
Q.: What is your USP? What is the insight that you have about this market, which no one else has? Uniqueness about your Startup.
Ans: Constructive branding and legal consultation maintaining an equilibrium between monopoly and competition, it being the essence of intellectual property. Thereby, instilling the correct understanding of IP amongst clients.
Q.: What were your assumptions when you entered the market, learning that you have? Who in your mind is your ideal customer? Do you have at least one of them signed up?
Ans: The inconsistency of work, inexperience and lack of guidance lead to many assumptions, one of them being desperately looking for jobs on the side. An insight that no-one teaches you. You have to learn yourself, experiment, make mistakes, fall twice and get-up thrice stronger each time. The journey taught me more than any person could!
An ideal customer is a manufacturer with branding at the helm of business! We have signed up at least 8 manufacturing companies during this 4.5 years of practice. This strengthened the zeal to pursue the practice strongly!
Q.: What has been your biggest failure as an entrepreneur and what did you learn from it??
Ans: Professional/expert advice is not valued if given free. Clients must be well-informed of all possibilities and of the process such that one is mentally prepared to face an expected/foreseeable circumstance. However, this information is valuable only when billed! Strategies adopted using this has lead to faster turn-around-time for us!
Q.: How are you pricing the Product? What is the logic behind it? What is the model you are following – Free / Freemium / Premium etc. ? Explain your thought process.
Ans: Pricing is standard for filing procedures. However, it is a service and pricing is case to case basis subject to standard qualification and experience based market rates.
Q.9: Please tell us about the investors (if any)
Ans: None. It is self-funded.
Q.: Is there any interesting success story of your startup? If yes, please write about it. ?
Ans: Being a young lawyer and freshly versed in the field was a challenge to convince others about the quality of the work and skill on offer. A customer expects an elderly looking wise man/woman to guide them and help them. No-one expects a doe-eyed girl to guide them in legal processes. A small obstacle was to start from scratch using all the savings from internships and jobs towards business expenses, which eventually did generate income but the wait was exasperating. To add to this, lack of manpower support and lack of mentorship would create self-doubt. I gained confidence in my work when I was chosen by few MNC’s to handle their IP work solely due to my understanding of the subject, especially after I pitched along with existing big and small intellectual property firms.
Q.: Since inception, give us a sense of the value of business done by your venture? Please explain in detail. (e.g., What is the current turnover? From Launching till date total no. of visitors on website/persons registered/enquiries and enrollment etc.)
Ans: We have completed over 900+ projects having worked with celebrities, singers, manufacturers, MNC’s for their IP requirements. Leads are generated through client references. These references have resulted in tier-2 and further references with business having initiated with approximately INR 5 Lakhs in the first year to an annual gross turnover of approximately INR 30 Lakhs in the previous year!
Q.: What is the big picture of your startup? Is this Product/service leading to something bigger? If so, how?
Ans: The bigger picture is to spread awareness of intellectual property rights and its understanding amongst start-ups, companies, inventors, authors, etc. in the right manner. Lack of correct knowledge or half-knowledge is dangerous and can lead to many unwanted and unnecessary litigation resulting in lost time, effort and money which is no less than a hazard for anyone involved.
This is being achieved by conducting free programs under the banner “What’s the big deal about Intellectual Property Rights” and “Get Legit” for start-ups at co-working spaces, NGO’s, businessmen at Rotary Club meetings and as a part of business coaching workshops. We have conducted 6 workshops catering to 200+ persons interested. Further, Intellexsys creates infographics, animated videos sharing IP knowledge on our YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram handles; undertakes game stalls for equipping people with IP knowledge during the World Intellectual Property Week and having conducted a webinar on IP and innovation, footage available on YouTube.
Q.: Who do You Perceive as Your Competition? How do you differentiate yourself with them?
Ans: Online quick-filing options available at reduced prices with automated search engines being heavily funded and promoted have hit the IP filing segment. However, specialized and case-to-case basis consultation being of prime importance owing to the fact that the filing procedure is only one of the requisites for obtaining IP registration and enforcing it. Subject-matter expertise is the choice of our target clientele.
Q.: What would be your goal to accomplish in the next six months? Any other information you would like to share?
Ans: The next short-term is to build a team of experts, frequently cater to different cities in India and set-up a stronger system for document accessibility from any location!
Q.: What message do you want to convey to fellow entrepreneurs?
Ans: Each one of us has wings. If only one dares to jump, will they open for you to fly!
Get up and jump up to do what you want to do…the rest will follow your footsteps! If you don’t get what you want, build it…
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Thanks Adv. Roshni. Best wishes!
The post This Mumbai-based young innovation lawyer “Keeps it Legal!” appeared first on Startup Success Stories India – News & Updates for Indian Entrepreneurs.