A big problem most lawyers are unaware of
Sometimes your biggest breakthrough comes from discovering a hidden need.
A phrase popped into my head this morning: “discovered need.” Meaning…
Sometimes we have a big problem we don’t know about—until the right tool reveals it.
The Wispr Flow revelation
I’ve been recommending Wispr Flow lately. It’s a voice-to-text app for your computer and iPhone, and it’s radically changed how I work.
I hate typing out my thoughts on a smartphone keyboard. Wispr Flow solved that problem so completely that I realized how much that frustration had been affecting me.
Naturally, I recommended it enthusiastically to lawyers in my Inner Circle.
Many dismissed it at first because they already had free built-in “voice-to-text” options.
They didn’t realize how much better Wispr Flow could be until they used it enough to have the insight themselves.
The awkward phase barrier
That’s the real barrier. New tech feels awkward at first.
If it seems ordinary, we give up before the magic hits.
Most lawyers try a tool for five minutes, decide it’s “not that different,” and move on. They miss the moment where everything clicks.
Two types of discovered need
I’ve noticed two versions of this:
“I didn’t know it could be this easy.”That’s Wispr Flow. Almost no setup. Just train yourself to push the button, speak, and release. The awkwardness is purely behavioral—building the habit of reaching for it.
“I didn’t know the investment was worth it.” TextExpander requires building your snippets before the payoff. The awkwardness is structural—there’s setup work before the benefit.
But once you’re through that phase? You wonder how you lived without it.
Why this is important for lawyers
Your practice is full of unrecognized needs:
Tasks that feel “fine” but drain your energy
Processes that seem “normal” but waste hours
Tools you think are “good enough” but hold you back
The successful lawyers aren’t necessarily smarter. They’re just better at getting through the awkward phase to discover what they were missing.
An important truth
That awkward phase doesn’t mean the tool is wrong for you.
It’s just the cost of solving a big unknown need.
Next time I recommend something that feels clunky, maybe give it more time.
Your breakthrough might be a more clicks down the road
;-)
Ernie
P.S. Want help getting through the awkward phase with tech tools that create massive benefits for your practice? Check out my Inner Circle.
There’s a special limited time discount (a pretty big one), so you might want to check it out.