About Cultural Understanding in International Expansion

What do you think of when you think of international market expansion? Metrics? Capital? Risk?

You wouldn’t be wrong. But there’s something important missing.

What about the more human side?

A lot of real business is done on the ground floor and that’s where personal relationships and shared goals take center stage, not numbers and graphs. Intricate knowledge of the local business ecosystem right down to local business etiquette can make or break a deal.

This isn’t just a case of good market research. Founders need to be willing to adapt to the specificity of a given market and its way of doing business, just like they would with their product. Otherwise, they’ll just go belly up and fast.

Tune in to our interview with Mario Steinbuch from 36 Chambers where we talk about the soft skills and intricate knowledge it takes to really be ready to expand internationally.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.