Building through borders: A founder’s perspective on a fragmented world
For much of the last decade, “going global” was almost a rite of passage for startups. The formula seemed straightforward: build a product that solves a real problem, raise capital, expand into new markets, and let globalisation create the scale. Technology was increasingly borderless, capital flowed relatively freely, and businesses assumed that the world would […] The post Building through…
The article discusses the shifting landscape of business expansion in a fragmented world. Traditionally, startups would expand globally as a natural progression of growth, but recent geopolitical developments have altered this formula. Factors such as trade tensions, semiconductor restrictions, AI strategies, and investment priorities have led to a redefinition of what "going global" truly means.
Founders are now faced with practical questions about where to build, who to partner with, and how to grow in this new environment. The author of the piece shares their own experience of redefining their business strategy, moving away from a simple focus on international expansion to investing more deeply in product intelligence.
They explain how corporate decisions are increasingly influenced by political sensitivities, national industrial policies, and geopolitical realities rather than purely commercial considerations. This shift has made context and interpretation more valuable than raw data, highlighting the importance of understanding broader forces that drive corporate decisions.
The author concludes that while international ambitions remain intact, the approach to expansion has evolved significantly in response to these changing dynamics.
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