International Entrepreneurship
The unique challenges and opportunities faced by entrepreneurs who start businesses in foreign countries, including cultural adaptation and market entry.
12 episodes
Ep35 — Virginie Glaenzer: Rewriting the Rules: Growth, AI, Community, and the Meaning of Wealth
Virginie Glaenzer, a fractional CMO and author, shares her journey from Paris to Silicon Valley in 1998 with four suitcases and no English, building tech companies through the dot-com era. She discusses AI's transformative impact on business, the shift from scarcity-based to abundance-based thinking, and why future-proof brands must build communities into their DNA rather than treating them as marketing tactics.
Ep20 Adam Lehde — Family Values, Ukrainian Excellence: Creating the Ideal Workplace
Adam Lehde, co-founder of Happen Technologies, discusses building a hybrid software development company that partners US-based strategy with Ukrainian technical talent. He shares his journey from mobile developer to entrepreneur, the cultural strengths of Ukrainian developers, and his philosophy of building a family-first company culture while maintaining high performance through direct communication and ownership mentality.
Ep18 Ghazenfer Mansoor — A Born Entrepreneur Talks Startups, Product Blueprints, and Global Scaling
Ghazenfer Mansoor, founder of Technology Divers, shares his journey from Pakistan to the US, building a mobile app development company that evolved into a product development consultancy. He discusses his 'blueprint methodology' for converting napkin sketches into production-ready software, managing distributed teams across multiple continents, and helping non-technical founders navigate the complexities of software development. The conversation covers entrepreneurial mindset, AI's impact on software development, and the importance of peer groups for founders.
Ep 13 - Marc McCarthy— Mastering Market Entry from Either Side of the Pond
Mark McCarthy, founder of Pro Consult IQ, discusses the complexities of cross-Atlantic business expansion for B2B software companies. He covers cultural differences in sales approaches, regulatory considerations across US states versus UK markets, and the critical importance of hiring locally and understanding regional business practices. McCarthy emphasizes that successful market entry requires more than language compatibility—it demands cultural adaptation, proper incorporation, local partnerships, and strategic timing for direct market presence.
Ep 08 - David Morczinek: Machine Learning at MIT to Entrepreneurial Growth and Fundraising Success.
David Morczinek, CEO of Airworks, discusses his journey from aerospace engineering at Airbus to co-founding a geospatial AI company at MIT. He explains how Airworks uses computer vision to analyze aerial data from drones, satellites, and aircraft, pivoting from pure automation to a hybrid service model when customers struggled with AI adoption. The conversation covers fundraising progression from friends-and-family to private equity, balancing technical innovation with market readiness, and building a sustainable company culture.
Ep 07 - Christy Johnson - Cultivating Resilience Through Adaptation, Partnership and Growth
Christy Johnson, performance engineering lead at VIP Ventures, shares her unconventional path from international microfinance to steel manufacturing to venture capital. She discusses her seven-year tenure as interim-then-permanent CEO of a portfolio company, the firm's hands-on 'performance engineering' approach to supporting founders, and how COVID-19 transformed her company into a successful fully-remote operation.
TFTSL Excerpt—Episode 06 - Mike Blake's Trip to Russia
Mike Blake recounts his chaotic first trip to Russia in 1993 as a 23-year-old hired to run a USAID privatization program. After missing his flight in Frankfurt, he navigated visa complications, outdated Soviet aircraft, and ultimately accepted hospitality from self-proclaimed smugglers who helped reunite him with his contact in Minsk.
Ep 06 - Mike Blake: A Journey Through Valuations, Ventures, Visions and Vodka
Mike Blake, founder of High Score Strategies, discusses business valuation methodology, the changing landscape of patent protection, and his journey from venture capital to founding Atlanta's influential Startup Lounge networking series. He shares insights on when valuations help or hinder startup negotiations, the dramatic weakening of patent value through PTAB proceedings, and his recent relocation to Portugal.
Want to go deeper?
Work With Me