Hello Fellow Nerds,
Welcome to the second edition of From the Founder, where I give you the unfiltered, behind-the-scenes updates on Contract Nerds post-acquisition.
If you missed the announcement, you can read about how Contract Nerds joined forces with Docusign here. Since September, Jessica Nguyen and I have been working founder-to-leader daily to ensure this transition does exactly what it’s supposed to do: make Contract Nerds even better for you.
The Inside Story (Featuring My Jedi Mind Tricks)
Want to know how this deal actually happened?
Jessica and I sat down with Hemma Lomax, Deputy General Counsel and Head of Global Business Integrity at Docusign, on the In-House podcast to tell the story, including how I may or may not have Jedi-mind-tricked Jessica into taking this on (her words, not mine).
We talked about why community matters so much in legal and compliance, what Docusign saw in Contract Nerds that made them want to acquire us, and what we’re building next.
Plus, the episode ends with a Keep It or Redline It game that might be the most Contract Nerds thing we’ve ever done.
Listen to the full episode on Simplecast | Spotify | Apple.
Program Updates: What’s New and What’s Not
The last three months have been about getting the mechanics right so we can focus on what matters; creating value for you. Here’s what’s changed (and what hasn’t):
Webinars
Jessica has officially taken the mic (watch the full ceremony here) and is now hosting all our webinars. Jessica shared this heartfelt promise to the community: “Thank you for passing the mic to me, and Nada, for trusting me, and to the community. Know that I do care about this community a lot, and I will do everything I can in my powers to make sure it stays the same, and will only grow, and get better.”
If you haven’t experienced her signature blend of contracts expertise and perfectly timed humor, you’re missing out. You can watch a free recording of last month’s webinar here.
Editorial & Newsletter
I’m still managing our editorial, website, and weekly newsletters—keeping my hands on the expert content that started this whole thing. In fact, we just launched a new guest column, Readable by Design, by Tessa Manuello, Founder of Legal Creatives. And Sterling Miller just ranked us the #1 blog for in-house counsel for a fourth year in a row!
Social Media
We’re still posting on LinkedIn at least once a day. Consistency matters, especially given we are running one of the most successful social media programs amongst legal communities. Follow us on LinkedIn for daily doses of contract expertise.
Live Events
In October 2025, we launched our live events program with a networking happy hour at ACC Philadelphia, and it was quoted as “one of the best happy hours at the ACC.” Nearly 100 in-house counsel showed up to sip Claus-a-Ritas, snap selfies with Clausey, and actually network with each other (not just stand in corners on their phones). The turnout, energy, and feedback showed us something important: this community wants to connect IRL. Consider this just the beginning.
Merchandise Shop
We’ve closed the shop for now, but we’ll be giving away more Contract Nerds swag at webinars, live events, and conferences. So if you want a “Caffeine Before Contracts” mug or a “No PDF Redlines” tote bag, be sure to join us live. (I heard there might be a Clausey plushie in the works…eek!)
Video Library
We used to offer webinar recordings free for seven days post-event, then charge for access. Now? The plan is to offer lifetime free access for all registrants! We’ve temporarily disabled the video library while we rebuild it to make access even easier for all subscribers. It’ll be worth the wait. In the meantime, we give out one free webinar recording a month to our subscribers. Subscribe to our newsletter for access.
Named Our Logo
As we were preparing for a networking event, Jessica asked me if our logo had a name. I told her that we hadn’t named it yet, but that was a great idea! So we came up with a shortlist of four names and decided to let the community help us pick the best one. By way of voting, the most popular name was Clausey!
Community Response: Welcomed With Open Arms
The data tells a story I’m incredibly proud to share:
We’ve seen a 12.5% growth in subscribers since the acquisition, currently totaling 24,394 at the time of this article. Our monthly webinars continue to average 1,700 registrants and 800 live attendees per webinar for three years in a row, which is a record amongst legal and contracts communities!
But beyond the data, what matters most to me is what you’ve been telling us:
🤓 “Thank you so much for the persistence implementing your vision, Nada! Congratulations, Jessica!”
🤓 “Best of luck to the new chapter of Contract Nerds. We know Jessica’s got this!”
🤓 “I love the nerdy humor! Thank you everyone and congratulations Jessica.”
We’ve also received valuable feedback about our webinar format. Some of you have asked for longer sessions, while others want more streamlined presentations. We hear you, and we’re actively working through this feedback to find the right balance between depth and digestibility.
What’s Next (We’re Not Done, Not Even Close)
Here’s what to look forward to in the next quarter:
- Contract Nerds Community Council (CNCC): If you expressed interest in joining our member committee, invitations went out recently. We’ll be selecting 10-12 founding members by the end of January. This is about making sure this community truly belongs to all of us.
- Template Library: Docusign recently launched a template library that we’re integrating into our free membership offerings. More resources, zero cost to you.
- 2026 Webinar Program: We’re still hosting one CLE-eligible webinar per month, all year long. Coming up, we’ll be covering hot and relevant topics such as AI Addendums, Data Security Terms, Contract Redlining Best Practices, and more topics you’ve been asking for. Our next webinar is January 22, 2025 at 9am PST on AI Addendums with Laura Belmont and Matt Kohel. Register here.
Just three months in, and I can honestly say this transition has exceeded expectations. This being the first-ever legal tech acquisition of a legal community, we are setting the tone for what’s possible when technology companies truly invest in the people and communities they serve, not just the products they sell.
Jessica is exactly the leader Contract Nerds needs, and watching this community continue to grow and thrive under her guidance has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional life.
Thank you for continuing to show up, engage, and make this community what it is. You’re the reason any of this works, the reason we are here.
P.s. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to the Contract Nerds newsletter to become an official member of our community. Every Wednesday morning, we share free articles, webinars, and contracting resources with over 24,000 lawyers and contracts professionals around the world. Make community your competitive advantage.
Forever Your Founder,
Nada Alnajafi
