Thoroughly enjoyed taking the stage with Pepe Villatoro Roberto Alvarez Cadavieco (Rori) and Fran Villalba Segarra at the VDS | Valencia Digital Summit last week, to talk about international expansion for startups.

My takeaways are below – Pepe, Rori, Fran – please feel free to add, delete or correct!

1. The business must be built with an “English-First” mentality from Day 1; if the venture is not based in one of the large – Anglo-Saxon – markets, going international cannot be an afterthought.

2. Think globally, but sell locally; when it comes to international expansion three words matter the most: localisation, localisation, localisation. The product and marketing must reflect the culture of the market you target.

3. There is no such thing as a universal internalisation strategy that fits every startup; the “how” depends on a set of variables; from whether you are a product-led company with high velocity low-touch sales, to whether you are capex intensive with a hard work component (e.g. e-mobility ventures), and everything in between.

4. The fastest way to fail is to *not ask* for help; the best way to do it is to ask the right questions and find the right mentors to help you.