Champions are fair but never gullible

The seminar for readiness for internationalization was for those have participated in the CBHA program delegations and for others interested. The seminar started with Lennart Almstedt at Essence International giving stats and reasons why big markets are needed for growing companies, and how it is rather easy to enter new markets but much harder to grow and stay. The participants discussed the list for how management boards can assess their readiness. Available online.

Emphasis was put on understanding the driving forces of the board, aligning them, crisp knowledge of the company’s edge and how to tackle weaknesses. It was a good bridge to the next speaker, the serial-entrepreneur Donnie Lygonis who is also innovation coach at KTH Innovation and former VINNOVA Senior Fellow at the Nordic Innovation House in Palo Alto. This session lifted the importance of mindset when tackling a market such as the US and in particular what is needed from companies establishing themselves in Silicon Valley. Where breaking through the noise is harder, the competitors more abundant, faster and stronger but also in understanding the business culture that can either propel the company to success or alienate it.  In the spirit of the SV sharing is caring mentality he and we have added links to the podcasts with Key Opinion Leaders.

Time to get fit for fight, because "Blue Ocean"-strategy in the US is often rather proof of ignorance rather than good strategic option. Little of the proposed in the seminar was news but yet, so often forgotten when it really matters most. Do the work!