Expansion used to mean signing a long-term office lease and hiring a large local team. Today, smart founders use 'Lean Expansion' to test product-market fit before committing significant capital.
Testing with EORs
Use an Employer of Record to hire your first salesperson or customer success lead in a new country. This allows you to test the market without the cost of setting up a legal entity.
Digital-First GTM
Focus on digital marketing and remote sales to validate demand. Once you hit a specific revenue threshold, that's the signal to 'go large' with a local subsidiary and physical presence.