Our guest in this episode is James Isilay, the CEO and Founder of Cognism, a B2B sales enablement platform which helps companies find new markets.

With background in software development, James tells us how he started Cognism, and when, how, and why they expanded to the US. He shares key things that helped his company open an office in New York and acquire new clients.

From building systems and company culture, to having the right advisors and being visible to foreign investors, James outlines the path that brought success to Cognism in America. He also cautions against expanding before a company nails its home market.

"Sales people in general just want to get rich, so as long as you give them a great product, and they are hitting their numbers, they are happy." - James Isilay

01:30 - James' background and how he founded Cognism

03:30 - What benefits clients have from using the Cognism system

05:20 - How Cognism collects all the real-time

07:00 - When the company was founded and where their offices are

08:21 - How they expanded to the US by being visible to foreign investors

10:15 - Why it's so important to have the right advisors

13:00 - How investors discovered and approached Cognism 16:50 - How to transplant the company culture into a new country

20:36 - The typical hiring mistake that companies make when expand abroad

24:32 - Why they chose New York as the location for the American office

27:25 - What are the reactions of customers and employees

31:10 - How they segment the market in America

35:56 - Planning is key if you want to expand

38:10 - What James learnt about systems and processes from living in Switzerland

39:30 - Do's and don'ts for expanding to the US: bring your culture, plan in detail, don't move unless you have a good reason to do it

Send us questions you want answered to [email protected]

Cognism

Mount Bonnell Advisors

Connect with James Isilay: LinkedIn

Connect with Sebastian Sauerborn: Website

Connect with Nastaran Tavakoli-Far: LinkedIn

Today our guest is Alex Klein, the co-founder and CEO of Kano Computing.

He invented a computer for kids to assemble when he was challenged by a 6 year old cousin who wanted to make his own computer, but to be as simple and fun as Lego. Although the idea appeals to kids, it’s not the exclusive target of their products. The spirit of the design process is the beginner’s mind.

The goal of Kano is to tell a story that could be comprehensible to any culture, language, and geography. However, the products are particularly caught on in the US. 

Alex caught the opportunity and expanded business in the US, from London where the company was set up. Although that was a very successful move for him, he has a lot of advice on how to be careful when deciding to make that kind of move. 

“If you see an opportunity to do any business in the US, the one that could even be 20-25% of your annual run rate, then take it, because it may expand well beyond that, as it did for us.” - Alex Klein

1:30 What Kano does
3:10 Where the idea came from and how it developed further
5:40 Why they set up in London
9:00 How conquered the US market
10:20 What type of a person their product should appeal to
11:23 When is the right moment to go to the US with the business and why do it
15:57 How they chose the person for running the US office
18:15 Why the product is more popular in the US than in Europe
18:55 How they funded the expansion
19:47 What kind of state you should be in when you want to raise money
20:25 What are the do’s and dont’s if you want your company to expand
23:30 How the US customer is different from the rest of the world
25:10 How things in London were done after the expansion

Send us questions you want answered to [email protected]

Kano Computing
Mount Bonnell Advisors

Episode Transcript

Connect with Alex Klein:
LinkedIn profile

Connect with Sebastian Sauerborn:
Website

Connect with Nastaran Tavakoli-Far:
LinkedIn

Today we are joined by the founder of the PopUp Business School, Alan Donegan.

Running a nomadic business across numerous different countries, he’s got a lot to share about how to start a successful business, and how to expand and operate in different countries and cultures once you do. 

Alan is a strong believer in the idea that you don’t need a lot of money to start a business. All you need is a good idea and the right direction. 

He tells us everything he does to help starting businesses, as well as what his own journey has looked like starting the PopUp Business School. 

"We go through five different ways to start a business without debt. Because one of the most common beliefs is it takes money to make money, and that’s just not true." - Alan Donegan

00:11 - What PopUp Business School is and why Alan started the company.
01:20 - How it works and where the money comes from.
02:47 - How long the course is and how many people are involved. 
03:55 - What kind of businesses have started with the course.
05:30 - How to get involved with PopUp Business School, and what the curriculum looks like.
09:09 - Where the business runs its courses. 
13:36 - Where Alan’s team is.
15:26 - What it’s like running a company nomadically.
21:22 - The types of businesses that can be successfully ran nomadically.
26:45 - How Alan’s friends and family reacted to his idea to run a business nomadically.
29:42 - The risk involved with starting a business from debt.
32:49 - Expanding the business outside of the UK.
35:27 - How sponsorship changes across countries.  
44:29 - The importance of focusing on the sales.
45:15 - How Alan has found the opportunities to expand into other countries.
48:31 - How to deal with different cultures as you operate in different countries.
50:48 - How people's reasons to start a business change across different cultures.
52:51 - Things to avoid when you’re starting a business.
56:13 - The amount of time it takes to build a business.
58:04 - Dos and don’ts for starting a company nomadically.

Send us questions you want answered to [email protected]

PopUp Business School
Mount Bonnell Advisors

Connect with Alan Donegan:
Website

Connect with Sebastian Sauerborn:
Website

Connect with Nastaran Tavakoli-Far:
LinkedIn

On today’s episode we are joined by Maeve Kneafsey, owner of CloudKPI. Running a company that has teams in both Dublin and America, she knows a lot about what it’s like to be moving your business. 

From the very start of CloudKPI’s conception Maeve decided to focus on the American market and have a base set up in the States. 

She had a lot of people help her make the transition from Ireland to America, and now she’s looking to help others who want to do a similar move. 

We talk about her whole experience moving across, from the different ways she’s treated for being a foreigner and a woman, to how America changes depending on where you are within it. 

“Don’t go out there, trying to spend any money on lawyers or advisors.” - Maeve Kneafsey

00:41 - Who Cloud KPI are, and what they do.
3:02 - Why they decided to focus on the American market.
4:42 - The logistics involved with moving their company to the US.
8:42 - What kind of product they had when going into the market.
9:11 - The network of people that helped them, and why they moved to Connecticut.
11:25 - Where their team is based.
12:31 - The logistics involved with moving your operations to America.
15:25 - The importance of having a physical presence where your market is.
17:09 - The differences with running a business in America compared to Ireland.
18:15 - The differences between the East and West Coast in America.
19:59 - Tips for companies that are looking to make the move across the pond.
21:50 - How you’re treated differently as a foreigner in America.
23:09 - The different things that helped them get into the market and understand the culture.
24:19 - Unexpected reactions she got being a female tech founder.
27:22 - Do’s and don'ts for startups moving to the US.
29:54 - The usefulness of having a base, and the hardships of running a business remotely.
31:55 - When you need to meet people face to face and when virtual meet-ups are adequate.
33:00 - What makes Enterprise Ireland uniquely useful.
34:46 - The main pieces of advice for someone wanting to move their business to America.
36:43 - How to contact CloudKPI.

Send us questions you want answered to [email protected]

Cloud KPI
Connecticut Innovations 
Enterprise Ireland
www.mtbonnell.com

Episode Transcript

Connect with Maeve Kneafsey:
Email
LinkedIn

Connect with Sebastian Sauerborn:
Website

Connect with Nastaran Tavakoli-Far:
LinkedIn

In this episode, we are joined by Murali Akella, who has helped TransferWise partner with banks across the globe.

TransferWise has been a revolutionary form of transferring money overseas at the lowest possible cost. Started in 2011 in the UK, it quickly became popular and now has over 6 million people who use their service.

Unsurprisingly, to get to this stage they needed to expand. They opened up offices across the globe, including America.

Murali shares with us what this experience has been like, why it was necessary, and the differences in the American market compared to the United Kingdom.

“This job is not a job, it’s a revolution.” - Murali Akella

00:17 - How TransferWise started.
02:34 - The bank accounts that TransferWise offers.
05:23 - The number of clients TransferWise have and who they are.
06:32 - How banks use TransferWise and how it works.
09:43 - How sending money overseas actually works.
12:11 - What the average fee is for sending money overseas.
13:06 - The different exchange rates you’ll get using banks or TransferWise.
15:41 - The benefits of TransferWise.
18:33 - How TransferWise has expanded and where their offices are now.
20:46 - The reasons for expanding to America and the surprising underdevelopment there.
22:35 - What motivations American banks have for using TransferWise.
25:18 - The high demand for easy money transfers in America.
26:49 - How the American market is different from the UK's.
30:33 - Where in America TransferWise has offices and why Tampa was an attractive city.
33:15 - The get togethers TransferWise have for its global force, and how culture can exceed borders.
35:35 - How to operate within different regulations across different countries.
37:51 - How running offices in the US is surprisingly similar to running offices elsewhere.
39:53 - Different expectations American clients have compared to European clients.
41:06 - Advice for those considering a move to the US market.
42:42 - TransferWise’s aim to keep their service homogenous for all their customers around the world.
44:33 - What the biggest challenge is when expanding to the US.

Send us questions you want answered to [email protected]

Transferwise
Swift
Slack
Hangouts
Zoom
www.mtbonnell.com

Episode Transcript

Connect with Murali Akella:
LinkedIn

Connect with Nastaran Tavakoli-Far:
LinkedIn

Connect with Sebastian Sauerborn:
Website

On today’s episode we meet with Husayn Kassai, the CEO of the identity standard testing company Onfido.

Founded in 2012, Onfido quickly expanded its offices outside of London, to include San Francisco, New York, Lisbon, Paris, New Delhi and Singapore. Husayn shares with us everything he’s learnt on his journey of expansion, and things he wished he knew before making the move across the pond.

Having offices on both sides of America gives Husayn two very different perspectives of running a business in the United States. He talks with us about the different benefits both spots have, and the importance of picking the right spot for your business's headquarters.

From getting investors in America, to the importance of adapting to American culture, Husayn tells it all.

“Frequent client feedback matters, and when you can’t deliver something let it be known straight away.” - Husayn Kassai

 01:22 - What Onfido does.
02:44 - Who their clients are.
03:32 - How the software at Onfido works.
06:43 - How money laundering regulations change across the globe.
08:36 - How the business started.
09:17 - Why Husayn wanted to open an office in the US.
11:51 - The importance of doing business in the US.
12:44 - How operating in America is different to operating in the UK.
15:22 - The importance of having a trustworthy brand.
16:45 - How to build trust and the importance of being honest.
19:12 - The kind of clients Onfido was focusing on.
21:11 - The importance of being blunt and to the point.
24:06 - The prevalence of suing in America.
27:15 - Opening up an office in New York, and how it’s different to San Francisco.
29:57 - The importance of picking the right location for your headquarters in America.
31:01 - Advice for companies that are looking for the right place in America to set up in.
33:57 - Getting seed investors in America.
37:30 - The key mistakes UK startups make when expanding to the US.
38:40 - Tips for dealing with American culture, and using your Britishness to your advantage.
41:05 - The importance of knowing local sports teams.

Send us questions you want answered to [email protected]

https://onfido.com
www.mtbonnell.com

Episode Transcript

Connect with Husayn Kassai:
Twitter

Connect with Nastaran Tavakoli-Far:
LinkedIn

Connect with Sebastian Sauerborn:
Website

Today we meet with Joe Blake, CEO of Artomatix, an Irish based tech company that helps studios create 3D content quicker than ever.

He has always had his eye on the US market and expanded there very early on. However, although they have staff on the ground in America, they do not have a main office there and Joe explains why this is.

He emphasises the importance of knowing your target audience and being able to visit your clients. He explains the high costs involved with opening an office in America, and how often if you have money to invest in your business it can be spent better elsewhere.

We are now in a world where business is global, and through technology and the internet you can still build a solid relationship with many clients without having a physical office where they are.

Finally, Joe talks about the importance of conferences, how they can add an immense amount of value to your business, and provide you with quality time to build relationships with your customers.

”It’s less about the logistics of opening an office, and more about the resources, and the people.” - Joe Blake

01:52 - Who Artomatix are and what they do.
02:53 - How 3D modelling is moving into other markets other than gaming.
05:22 - Automating 3D modelling and its benefits.
06:08 - The history of Artomatix.
08:43 - The importance of the US market, and how it is Artomatix’s target market.
10:36 - Opening up offices in America.
12:57 - Focusing research on the West Coast.
13:47 - Raising funding and finding investors.
14:25 - Which staff they have based in the US and why.
16:46 - Taking their product to market.
18:15 - The IRS and the importance of doing your taxes properly.
21:27 - Whether you really need an office in the US.
24:35 - The importance of focusing on your target audience.
28:32 - Where sales people aren’t necessarily who you should be using to make sales.
30:05 - How time difference can make offering support more difficult.
32:17 - Questions you should ask yourself when thinking of moving to the US market.
36:14 - How conferences can add an immense amount of value to your business.

https://artomatix.com
Nvidia
www.mtbonnell.com

Episode Transcript

Connect with Joe Blake:
LinkedIn
[email protected]

Email us at - [email protected]

Twitter - @mtbonnell

Connect with Sebastian Sauerborn:
Website

Connect with Nastaran Tavakoli-Far:
LinkedIn