From Law Firm Associate To Building BoltDraft For Solo Lawyers

As a corporate lawyer, I watched partners bill huge rates for copy-pasting clauses. Most of the work was repetitive. When big firms started experimenting with AI, I noticed solo practitioners were left behind. I quit in late 2024 with a small runway and built BoltDraft—a contract workspace for solo lawyers. Instead of a generic chatbot, it focuses on three workflows: drafting first versions from structured client intake, flagging risky clauses, and generating plain-language summaries. I pre-sold lifetime deals to 15 lawyers I knew, funding development and gaining honest feedback. We launched at $99/mo per lawyer. By the end of year one, BoltDraft hit $12.7k MRR through referrals and bar-association talks. The vision: give small firms the speed and leverage of big-firm associates without the cost. As a corporate lawyer, I watched partners bill huge rates for copy-pasting clauses. Most of the work was repetitive. When big firms started experimenting with AI, I noticed solo practitioners