Anoop Joshi is one of the experts on hand to chat with at the RookieOven Drop In Days each month. As part of Skyscanner’s legal team, he’s well positioned to chat through any general legal issues you’re not sure about.
How did you get started in this area?
An interest in music and tech attracted me to intellectual property law when I began studying law at university. This was during the early days of The Pirate Bay file-sharing legal disputes and also the rise of online MMORPGs, which had some really interesting legal issues around value creation and ownership.
This was an introduction to the technologies powering the web and a pathway to writing and understanding HTML and Javascript and later tinkering with web development with Ruby and frameworks like Rails and Sinatra.
My role as legal counsel in a tech company like Skyscanner is a way of bringing all of these interests together in one role.
Why are you passionate about Scottish technology?
Scottish technology is diverse, impactful and has been a powerful vehicle for change in Scotland and beyond for decades. We consistently prove that, as a nation, we are innovators and there is an incredibly diverse ecosystem across education, commerce. government and the not-for-profit sector where people can access and use technology to bring about positive change. Whether it's internet connectivity, smartphones, access to online education tools, or the democratisation of the tools we can all use to innovate, tech is a great enabler. In Scotland, we're great at collaborating and working together, and there's a real sense of welcoming and belonging in the Scottish technology community.
What's your one biggest piece of advice for people in the Scottish tech scene?
Surround yourself with people who challenge you, they'll help you to improve. Also, no matter what, get it in writing :)
What mistakes can people avoid?
From a legal perspective, it's not getting contracts in place or, having a contract that's not fit for purpose and only realising that when you need to rely on it most. As a responsible business owner, you need to think about things like when customers are going to pay you, what type of warranties can you give, and whether or not you can really deliver on what you're signing up to. Legal agreements aren't a box-ticking exercise, what you agree to today might come back to haunt you in the future so it's always worth paying attention.
What's your vision for the Scottish tech ecosystem?
A tech ecosystem based on building sustainable and value driven businesses that continue to punch above their weight at a community, national and international level. An ecosystem where there is a focus on diversity, sharing of skills, experience and resource across sectors to help continue to highlight Scotland's role as a leader in technology and innovation for years to come.
