Business

Akylles: Accomplished Startup Experts Empowering Entrepreneurs

Published

5 years ago

September 27, 2021

An entrepreneur is an adventurer, a risk taker, but perhaps most of all, a hard worker. Do you want to be financially independent? Scale across markets? Set a foundation for a strong, lucrative company? That’s all well and good, but what most people don’t realize is that most startups actually fail at the seed stage. To see an e-commerce startup beyond these early stages, there are some common pitfalls to avoid. If you want to achieve the sort of success where you’re making money while you sleep, you need to put in the effort first and educate yourself.

Akylles was founded by Rami Alame, co-founder of Lexyom as the first Next Gen Startup, Financial & Legal School in the MENA & GCC region. Alame graduated with an LLM in Financial Services Law from New York Law School and has spent the last decade helping hundreds of startups scale internationally. The Akylles Program is just one of the many courses offered by Akylles. The program includes all the tools an entrepreneur needs to develop their startup beyond the seed stage and reach an international market across industries.

The most common obstacle to a startup is that most would-be entrepreneurs simply don’t know how to start a business, much less how to achieve massive, scalable growth. There are so few training programs that are comprehensive and offer the experience, community, and mentorship that a successful startup requires. An idea is where the business starts, but is it creative? Unique? Special? Sustainable? And what about financing? Legal? Hiring? It is intimidating just to think about all the steps in the process: insurance, bank accounts, employees, market monitoring, finances, partners, investors, and so many other facets of starting a business. The risk alone is scary and the prospect of failure is daunting.

The Akylles School is all you need to launch your startup, and they offer many valuable courses. The Ideation Program helps you zero in on your ideas with examples, models, pitch preparation, templates, and other valuable resources. The Legal Program guides you through the challenges of the legal aspects of startups with lessons on subjects like cofounder agreements, legal terms, operations, contracts, and trademarks. Understanding Crypto gives you vital insight into trading platforms, various coins, creating a wallet, and managing investments. Raising Funds for Startups brings you through the steps required to seed your startup and leads you to a deep understanding of pitch preparation, forecasts, statements, valuations, and metrics. Last one Launched was the Ultimate Crypto & NFT Course which helps you start trading in less than 10 days.

To sign up with Akylles is to become a lifelong member of the Akylles community. This network includes the incredible and approachable founders, of course, but you will also be among specialists in management, marketing, coding, human resources, finance, legal—anyone and everyone involved in a successful startup. There is plenty of opportunity to develop relationships with colleagues and potential collaborators.

There are two things that can help you achieve your goals of success and financial freedom: hard work and a reliable, proven process. You provide the effort, and Akylles can provide those tools. You can register for each course individually, or you can maximize your investment with bundles. Akylles even backs up their learning experience with a 30-day money-back guarantee. “We want to empower entrepreneurs, not do their job,” says Alame.

Akylles is an invaluable resource and an empowering experience. They can be an integral step in your startup, giving you guidance, knowledge, and support—everything you’ll need. The Akylles Program is based on real experience and results. Akylles will be there for every step, the instructors and community propping you up with motivation, expertise, and encouragement, but it is your drive and passion that will propel you and your company to ultimate success.

Business

Click for Counsel: YesLawyer Wants to Make Lawyers as Accessible as Wi-Fi

Published

5 days ago

April 1, 2026

Matthew Wiles

Photo Courtesy of: YesLawyer

Byline: Andi Stark

For many people facing a legal problem, the most difficult part is not understanding their rights but finding a lawyer willing to speak with them in the first place. Long wait times, unclear pricing, and administrative hurdles often delay even the most basic consultations. YesLawyer, an AI-enabled plaintiff firm operating across all 50 states, is testing whether technology can shorten that gap.

Founded in 2024 by 25-year-old entrepreneur Rob Epstein, the platform offers free intake, automated screening, and, in many cases, same-day conversations with licensed attorneys. The idea is simple: reduce the friction between a client’s first request for help and an actual legal discussion. In this interview, Epstein explains how the system works, where artificial intelligence fits into the process, and what problems the company is trying to address in the broader legal system

Q: When you say you want lawyers to be “as accessible as Wi-Fi,” what does that mean in practical terms?

A: It’s a way of describing speed and availability. Someone dealing with a workplace dispute, a serious injury, or an immigration issue should be able to move from an online form or phone call to a real conversation with counsel in hours, not weeks. YesLawyer is structured so that a client begins with a free case evaluation, goes through automated conflict checks and basic screening, and, in many instances, speaks with a lawyer the same day.

Q: How does the process work once someone contacts the platform?

A: We use a structured workflow. It starts with a short questionnaire and an initial conversation to capture basic facts. That information feeds into conflict checks and internal review. The system then proposes a match with a licensed attorney and provides a calendar link for a virtual consultation, often within 24 hours. After the meeting, the client receives a written legal plan outlining next steps, deadlines, and estimated fees.

Q: Where does artificial intelligence fit into that process, and where does it stop?

A: AI is used for organizing and routing information, not for giving legal advice. It helps with conflict checks at scale, case categorization, and structured summaries so attorneys can focus on the substance of the matter. Every consultation is conducted by a licensed lawyer, and all decisions about strategy or next steps are made by humans.

Q: What problem is this model trying to solve in the current legal system?

A: Delay and cost are still major barriers. Many civil plaintiffs face long waits just to get a first appointment, along with high retainers and hourly billing that make early legal advice risky. We try to respond with faster consultations, flat-fee options, and financing. The idea is to remove administrative friction so lawyers spend less time on logistics and more time speaking with clients.

Q: Some critics say platforms like this blur the line between a technology company and a law firm. How do you describe YesLawyer?

A: We describe ourselves as a national, AI-enabled plaintiff firm that connects clients with independent attorneys. That structure does raise regulatory questions, especially around responsibility and oversight. We focus on licensing verification, attorney-written case plans, and clear communication about fees and services.

Q: You’ve said the main bottleneck is “systems” rather than people. What do you mean by that?

A: The issue isn’t that lawyers don’t want to help more people. It’s that the systems around them make it hard to scale their time. Intake, scheduling, and document handling take hours. Automating those parts means attorneys can handle more matters without being overwhelmed by repetitive tasks.

Q: Does this model risk favoring only the most profitable cases?

A: That’s a real concern in legal technology. Automation often works best for repeatable, high-volume disputes. Our view is that lowering administrative cost can actually make it easier to take on smaller or more complex cases that might otherwise be turned away. Whether that holds over time depends on the data.

Measuring Impact Over Time

YesLawyer’s attempt to compress the timeline between inquiry and consultation reflects broader changes in how legal services are being delivered. As artificial intelligence becomes more common in administrative work, firms are experimenting with new ways to reduce wait times and clarify costs.

The company’s early growth suggests that many clients value faster access to an initial conversation, even before considering long-term representation. Whether this platform-based model becomes widely adopted or remains one of several emerging approaches will depend on regulatory developments, lawyer participation, and measurable outcomes for clients. For now, YesLawyer’s experiment highlights a central question in modern legal practice: how quickly can help realistically be made available to the people who need it.