Sydney Law alumnus reflects on launch of successful tech start-up

From legal firm Allens Arthur Robinson, to a business startup, Jeremy Levitt has disrupted the way people get things done with his highly successful online company.

The Sydney Law School alumnus started ServiceSeeking.com.au in 2007, a tendering website which allows you to describe any job and receive competitive quotes, free of charge.

“It’s been 10 years since launching ServiceSeeking.com.au and we hope to continue to grow the business, including launching in overseas markets.

“It has been a very rewarding experience so far - if you have to work for money, there is no better way to do it than working for yourself,” said Jeremy.

Career highlights thus far for Jeremy include: building a tech business from scratch; raising start-up capital in excess of $10m; growing the business to two million users; and generating $3.2b in job opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses.

“They all count as massive highlights, although every day is special. I get to work with amazing, funny people and have a ball doing it,” explained Jeremy.

After graduating in 2004, Jeremy attributes his Commerce/Law degree at The University of Sydney as beneficial to learning how to simultaneously juggle multiple projects and commitments.

“Life was so fast paced at university - just like life in a startup that is attempting to disrupt the status quo. The pace of change at which technology affects an increasing number of industries and businesses is only going to accelerate.

“Learning new things, new technologies and evolving the business quickly are all characteristics of entrepreneurship that I honed as a university student, just at a different scale,” said Jeremy.

He believes a law degree teaches you not only the meaning of hard work, but also how to navigate the pitfalls and traps in building a startup.

“There is a lot of reading in law school and for that you need to develop a work ethic. If you are prepared to study long and hard hours as a law student, you’ll do fine as an entrepreneur. 

“Beyond the preparation for hard work, it’s about knowing how to research legislation and then comply with it. Knowing how to write a decent letter, or just knowing how to ‘get stuff done’. And then everyday writing, critical thinking and communication skills - which I honed in class and during extra-curricular such as mooting.

“One understated benefit of a Commerce/Law degree is the development of an understanding of how to work with others. These skills have been essential in management, raising finance, marketing, as well as human resources,” said Jeremy.

While at university, Jeremy worked pro-bono at Redfern Legal Centre and was the Wine Society President for two years. He was also involved in various entrepreneurship ‘projects’, although without much success.

“These projects helped convince me that a career as an entrepreneur would be fun, as coming up with these ideas and launching were highlights of my student days. 

“Essentially, the University of Sydney was instrumental in shaping me as the person I am today. The memories I created there are still so fresh. I had the time of my life and I’ll never forget it,” said Jeremy.