The transfer trap
Teams enter new markets carrying proof from old ones: logos, decks, pricing, sequencing. The new market reads it instantly — this was not built for us. Conviction transfers far worse than capital.
“A market does not care what worked in the last one.”
Earn local proof
The first six months are not for scale. They are for three reference customers whose names mean something locally. Price for proof, not for margin. A local logo that buyers recognize is worth ten foreign case studies.
The tell
If your pipeline is full of expats and inbound curiosity, you have reach, not presence. Presence is when a local buyer names you unprompted, in their language, to a peer.