Going Global from the Start
Since being a part of Radiant Ventures and having so many experiences with Asian startups. I think every single startup no matter where you are based, you have to think Global these days. To be a true unicorn, you have to both the west and the eastern markets.
I am based in Hong Kong which is a small city and has a small market, so we tell our portfolio companies to think global, to go global from day 1. There are a lot of challenges when you go global, there is always the culture, the people that you work with, the different partners, all these are issues. That is why it is that much more important to think and plan ahead. If you only think about your local city, you are going to lose out because of these days globally, technology competes globally everywhere. There is bound to be tons of other companies competing in your space globally. So you must think about the competition you will face one or two years down the road.
What Kind of Company are you?
Going global also depends on what kind of company you are, whether you are a B2C market or B2B market. If you are in the B2C market then perhaps it is better to start in your own local market. The B2B market you can actually sell to banks all over the world. Then it makes sense for you to think global a little earlier because there are only so many large banks that could be your customer. Going global from the start should always be the goal, that could change based on your business model but to always aim high is the right way to think and plan.
