Key insights

‍

1. Never Start with "No".

Singh argues that lawyers must be problem solvers first. A GC should never give a flat refusal without exploring every remote alternative and providing two or three potential solutions. This mindset ensures legal remains relevant and integrated into core business decisions rather than being sidelined.

‍

2. Follow the Spirit of Regulation, Not Just the Text.

‍ In the Indian fintech sector, regulation often outpaces technology. Singh manages this by researching the historical context of laws to understand their "spirit". By aligning with the regulator's ultimate goal—such as consumer protection—a company can stay ahead of shifting interpretations.

‍

3. Legal Tech is a Retention Strategy, Not Just an Efficiency Tool.

CRED's legal team implemented a CLM system (SpotDraft) to handle 1,000 contracts a month. Singh highlights that automating rote tasks prevents talented lawyers from "running away" due to boredom, allowing them to focus on higher-value big-ticket items.

‍

4. Titles are Vanity Metrics.

At CRED, Singh famously has "Building CRED" as his designation rather than "General Counsel". He believes titles create rigid silos and distract from the mission. This flexibility allows a leader to be the "General Counsel" in a boardroom but the "junior-most person" when needing to learn from the ground up.

‍

5. India is "Not for Beginners.

" Global companies often fail in India by trying to replicate Western models. Success requires understanding local cultural diversity and the protective nature of Indian regulations, which are designed to safeguard hundreds of millions of people who may be less financially literate than the top 10%.

‍

6. Closing insight

Your value to the C-suite is not your ability to cite law, but your ability to provide solutions. By mastering the "spirit" of the law and embracing operational speed, you transition from a cost center to a core builder of the company’s success.