Technology, innovation, law
People go in-house for a variety of reasons, such as wanting to be more involved on the business side, and a desire for greater control over their schedule. The notion of in-house lawyers clocking off at 5pm went out with the dodo, but many in-housers report less fetishisation of the jacket-on-the chair culture than in private practice.
However, the gap is certainly not what it used to be. In the Bay Area start-up community, the culture in the early years – including for the GC – is to sacrifice everything to ensure the venture is successful. Nevertheless, what often sets the in-house experience apart is control over one’s schedule, as Josh Horowitz of Tilt explained: ‘I realised that if I actually wanted to create it, I could; I make time for other things and I find it’s really productive. You have to refresh yourself in order to be productive again, otherwise you just keep doing the same thing and it doesn’t work.’
