Join Jordan Hatcher, Co-Founder, CLO, and COO of The Grid, as he discusses his dual perspective on global business as an american tech lawyer living in Europe, his journey from standards-making for open source data to founding a Web3 company, leading legal at a German unicorn, starting a non-profit organization, and much more.
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Key Insights

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1. Scaling Legal Means Starting with Chaos

At Staffbase, Jordan joined as the 80th employee — no templates, no playbooks, and “AEs making up contracts.” His lesson: early-stage lawyers can’t impose structure too fast. “You’re joining a moving train—you run alongside it before you climb on.” He focused on learning pain points, building global frameworks, and creating scalable templates once momentum stabilized.
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2. Trust Is Earned Through Curiosity

From semiconductors at Arm to SaaS at Staffbase, Jordan’s approach to technical trust was simple: “Admit you don’t know, ask questions, and stay curious.” He built credibility with engineers by learning their language — and teaching them legal in return. “They respect that you also want to know the why,” he says.
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3. Burnout Looks Like Productivity Until It Doesn’t

After years of nonstop work and parenting a child with special needs, Jordan realized he was “using work as a coping mechanism.” It took a year-long sabbatical to reset. “It took me six weeks to see it was the right choice, and six months to feel human again.” His reflection: “Downtime isn’t a luxury—it’s maintenance.”
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4. Culture Starts with Boundaries

As GC, Jordan viewed his role as “the umbrella for the team.” He encouraged rhythm-based work—slow quarters should mean rest, not backlog. “There’s no changing the hockey stick,” he says. “But when it’s quiet, don’t pile on. That’s when recovery happens.” He champions legal leaders to model balance: “Make sure your team actually takes their holidays.”
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5. The Grid: Open Data Meets Web3

The Grid solves one missing layer in blockchain: structured metadata. “Everyone’s showing you transaction data—nobody’s telling you what the thing is.” The Grid provides open, verifiable reference data for decentralized apps. Jordan calls it “the Wikipedia of company metadata for Web3.”
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6. Personal Purpose Fuels Professional Clarity

Through A Different Story, a nonprofit helping parents of children with disabilities navigate Dutch systems, Jordan found new empathy as a leader. “It’s not about fixing everything—it’s about helping people find the right support.” That mindset now shapes how he builds teams, gives feedback, and defines success: “It’s not about titles; it’s about people thriving.”
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7. Closing Insight:

“You can’t scale legal if you don’t scale humanity.”

Jordan’s story reminds every GC: leadership isn’t just about growth metrics—it’s about sustaining the people who make that growth possible.

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