Market Intelligence Data in a Global Expansion Strategy

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For fast-growth tech companies, global expansion is often a high-stakes part of the scale-up journey. Yet too many companies still expand reactively: following a competitor, chasing investor pressure, or assuming the next logical market based on language or time zone. But these assumptions can be costly.

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Our Co-Founder, JJ, was asked what’s one thing he’d do differently if he were scaling a business internationally for the first time today. His response was, 

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“I’d conduct market intelligence for buyer personas and geo data before presuming the best location to expand into. Then map out the talent in that market to see if it’s capable and affordable to deliver against those needs.”

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This data-led approach arms founders with real insights and awareness of key talent before they’ve even stepped foot in the new market. We’ve explained in this article how you can apply it to your strategy. 

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Why assumptions can derail global growth

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It’s common to see tech companies default to English-speaking markets like the UK or US, or pick Singapore or the Netherlands for their ‘ease of doing business.’ While these are attractive entry points, they may not be where your buyer is, where the talent is, or where you’ll find product-market fit. Another common pursuit is capital or ‘tier 1’ cities without evaluating costs of acquisition, employment or customer base.   

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For example:

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• Expanding into the US without understanding regional buying behaviour can result in months of wasted sales investment.
• Launching a European office without identifying a sustainable local talent pool can lead to high churn, poor ramp-up, or expensive relocations.
• Expanding into England and choosing its capital, London, rather than somewhere with lower costs (and no shortage of opportunities) like Birmingham or Bristol, can end in unnecessary cash burn.

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A successful expansion strategy should consider:

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1. Where your ideal buyers are, how they buy, and how you can reach them.
2. Where the right talent is, and what it costs.
3. How competitive and saturated the market is, and what your competitive drivers are to cut through the noise. 
4. What strategic partnership channels are available, and how you will get your foot in their door.

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How Market Intelligence de-risks expansion

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Data helps you go beyond guesswork. With market intelligence, you can:

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• Pinpoint buying intent and opportunity across different regions.
• Understand customer decision-makers: their titles, pain points, and deal cycles.
• Benchmark talent supply and cost by role, function, and experience.
• Compare competitor presence and GTM strategies to avoid surprise.
• Identify partnership channels, PR and brand awareness opportunities to sell to the right people from day one.

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At Think & Grow, we help founders de-risk their international moves. Our Market Intelligence service answers:

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• Where is the opportunity based on buyer signals and deal volume?
• What does the local hiring landscape look like by skill, cost, and seniority?
• What are competitors doing and how should you differentiate? 
• How long will a successful market entry strategy take in your preferred market? 
• What will your key challenges be as a business entering the new market? 

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→ Explore our Market Intelligence offering

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Final thought: Start with insight, not instinct

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International expansion doesn’t need to be a gamble, but too often, that’s how it plays out. Data gives founders the power to make confident, strategic decisions that set their business up for long-term success, not just short-term presence.

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Whether you're eyeing your first global market or your third, market intelligence can help you ask and answer the right questions before you invest.

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→ Check out an example Market Intelligence Report 

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