Playbook / Lessons / Expand: new markets
StartupsVisit the new market and meet users before you hire locally
Birmacher says companies often build an office and hire locals before they have even visited, and hire partners to localize documentation. His company instead followed its first users, tracked Japanese-language mentions, and travelled to Tokyo to take part in the developer community, all without a dedicated presence in the country. He also warns that Japan is not a testing ground for MVP products.
“In order of execution, going to Japan before setting up shop seems more sensible.”— Barnabas Birmacher, How our SaaS startup broke into the Japanese market without a physical presence, Jan 2022
Do this
Plan one short trip to the target market, book conversations with a few existing users there, and write down what you learned before any local hire or office lease.