From Law to Startups: 3 Communication Habits That Win Deals and Investors

Before building AXDRAFT and AiSDR, I was a corporate lawyer. 

Not the cool, suave kind you see in Suits, but the kind who negotiates 100-page contracts.

Since making the leap from law to leading startups, I’ve written everything from dense legal agreements to sales emails, investor updates, and marketing copy.

In that time, I’ve noticed three communication habits that consistently drive results across industries and formats. They’ve helped me close deals and raise capital, so that AiSDR can stand out in one of the most competitive markets in tech.

Lesson #1: Give a 1-sentence answer to questions

One of the most valuable bits of advice I picked up came from my mentor Mykola Stetsenko, and it was later reinforced at Y Combinator.

When someone asks you a question, give a 1-sentence answer.

Too many people beat around the bush, starting their answers with backstory or context before getting to the point. But this is a fast way to lose your audience.

Here’s a quick example.

The first answer sounds more thorough, but it buries the main point.

The second respects the listener’s time and leads with clarity.

You can always share context after if they keep listening. But if you want to stand out, lead with your insight.

Lesson #2: Tell a story when making a pitch

When I first pitched AXDRAFT to investors, I relied too heavily on numbers. After all, I had spent years building arguments and presenting hard data.

But one conversation with Gustaf Alströmer from Y Combinator reframed everything:

Metrics matter, but stories are what people remember.

Numbers are just a piece of the action, and a strong pitch isn’t just a slide deck full of charts. 

It’s a narrative:

• A humble beginning
• A big opportunity that just opened up
• Real progress toward capturing it
• A clear and exciting future

Investors don’t invest in numbers. They invest in potential. They need to see how your startup fits into the story arc of something bigger. 

And if you’re just presenting data, you’re easy to forget.

But if you can shape your data into an exciting journey, you become memorable and fundable, and they’ll want to be a part of it.

Lesson #3: Lead your sales with a hook 

This is one of my newer career lessons from the past few years, but it’s made a big difference.

Start your content with a hook.

Today’s sales channels and social feeds are incredibly crowded. No one’s waiting to read your long intro. You need to give them a reason to keep reading from the very first line.

As Yurii Veremchuk explains, “Your first line is your best real estate.”

The LinkedIn posts I write with strong, curiosity-driven openings consistently perform better, often with 6.5x more impressions.

Whether you’re writing a cold email, ad copy, or a LinkedIn post, the writing formula is the same:

• Grab attention
• Spark curiosity
• Deliver value fast

Without a hook, even your best ideas will go ignored.

Results

These three communication lessons have one thing in common. 

They respect your audience’s time.

They also make your communication faster, clearer, and more persuasive.

In a world full of noise:

• Clarity becomes your edge
• Relevance is your moat
• Storytelling is your secret weapon
• Respect for your audience’s time is your superpower

The tools may change, but the best communicators win by mastering the basics.