This episode is a little different. It focuses on a vertically-focused Silicon Valley Fintech company, Hearsay Systems, that expanded to Europe. In this episode, Chris Andrew, Hearsay’s Chief Product Officer, talks to me about how and when they decided to move to Europe; how they tackled the regulatory landscape to expand into Europe and the common mistakes companies make when expanding internationally.
Show Notes
Show Notes:
- [1:15] - How Chris went from being the #1 employee at Hearsay to now being Chief Product Officer at Hearsay
- [4:22] - What does Hearsay do?
- [6:16] - How has the current pandemic affected Hearsay's business.
- [7:51] - What criteria did Hearsay consider when it decided to expand into Europe.
- [10:47] - How to prioritize different markets in Europe. How did you pick where to go?
- [12:40] - Was your strategy to go country by country or to all of Europe?
- [14:43] - How did you personally prepare before going to Europe?
- [18:36] - Given your product had a compliance element to it, how did you build awareness with the compliance community across different countries and different regulators?
- [26:33] - What do you wish you had known before moving to Europe/ What are some of the biggest mistakes companies people make when they move internationally?
- [29:19] - Is there a hiring plan you would recommend for businesses looking to expand into Europe?
- [30:44] - What did you personally learn from your time in Europe?
Recommendation and Links:
Business book:
7 powers by Hamilton Helmer
What is The European Startup Show?
To inspire technology entrepreneurs in Europe with stories and practical strategies from other successful entrepreneurs.
If you are a CEO, founder, or work in sales or marketing, and your company is based in Europe or is looking to expand into Europe, then this podcast is for you.