Harvey’s initial go-to-market strategy serves as an excellent example of addressing the cold start challenge for a risk-averse audience. The main difficulty was pitching a new AI tool to lawyers. Their solution, detailed in a Law.com article, was to focus on "enterprise clients" first, building trust by securing major clients like A&O and PwC.
Pricing played a crucial role in this strategy. Instead of a one-size-fits-all SaaS plan, they offered varied options, from "a few hundred dollars per user, per month" with a seat minimum to a model allowing firms to "buy or build"—using Harvey's platform to develop custom tools. This flexibility is vital for a market where value is perceived very differently across firms. It's more of a partnership sale than just licensing software.
Of course, this approach has its trade-offs. Targeting top-tier clients meant some smaller firms felt excluded. Nonetheless, a key lesson is to clearly define who the product isn’t intended for at launch. Demonstrating the tool’s ability to operate discreetly at the highest levels was the main objective, guiding the overall strategy.
This scenario encourages internal product and legal teams to evaluate their roadmaps. Are you planning your market entry intentionally? Does your pricing model reflect the value perceived by your initial target segment? Harvey's experience reminds us that product-market fit and pricing strategy are ongoing art forms, not single calculations.
Molly G Smith
