Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Seriously Don’t Do That, Dan Griffith sits down with David Borinstein to talk about what American companies, U.S. scale-ups, SaaS founders, technology companies, and growth-stage businesses often get wrong when they decide to “go to Europe.” Usually, this show runs in one direction. A European founder sits down with Dan, and the conversation is about why the United States is not one simple market. It is a hundred markets wearing a trench coat. Different buyers, different states, different sales motions, different procurement habits, different legal exposure, and a very different commercial pace. This week, the conversation runs in reverse. David Borinstein is a California native who spent a decade in San Francisco commercial real estate, making 50 cold calls a day and building a business that could run over the phone and online. When a U.S. company decides to “go to Europe,” what do they usually get wrong on day one? David’s answer starts before day one. Because many companies misunderstand what Europe actually is as a market. Entering France is a project. Entering Germany is a project. Entering Belgium is a project. Entering Brussels, Flanders, and Wallonia may each become its own project. For American founders, SaaS companies, fintech companies, healthtech companies, legaltech companies, enterprise sales teams, and business development leaders, this matters. Because the mistake is not only commercial. It can be legal, operational, cultural, and strategic. One of the biggest points in this conversation is that a U.S. company may already have European exposure before it officially “enters Europe.” If you hold EU customer data, process European user information, work with European customers, sell into European accounts, or touch European personal data, you may already be dealing with European legal and regulatory obligations. That changes the conversation. Europe market entry is not only about hiring a salesperson, choosing a country, opening an office, or finding a few distributors. It is about understanding the rules, the relationships, the regions, the buyer expectations, the calendar, and the dignity of the market you are entering. David uses Belgium as the argument in miniature. Belgium is a small country, but it has multiple regions, multiple trade agencies, multiple languages, and very specific local structures. Even within one country, you cannot always assume that one relationship, one agency, or one event gives you access to the entire market. That is the point many U.S. companies miss. They arrive with the posture that Europe should be grateful for the opportunity. They assume U.S. speed will translate. They assume capital creates access. They assume a smaller country means a simpler buying process. They assume if the product works in America, the market will adjust around it. That is where things break. In the episode, David shares a story about a major U.S. financial institution that came into Belgium with the attitude that a small country should be glad to work with them because they had money. David also breaks down the European business calendar that many American founders are not prepared for. What we cover: ▪️ Why “entering Europe” is not one project ▪️ Why each national and regional market needs its own strategy ▪️ Why U.S. companies may already be under European law before they officially enter Europe ▪️ How EU customer data can create exposure before a company has boots on the ground ▪️ Why Belgium is a perfect example of European complexity ▪️ How Brussels, Flanders, and Wallonia create different layers of business development ▪️ Why American confidence can become a liability in European market entry ▪️ What happens when U.S. companies assume money alone opens doors ▪️ Why July, August, and December matter more than U.S. founders expect ▪️ Why slower email response does not always mean lack of interest ▪️ How American companies should think about trust, dignity, patience, and local relationships ▪️ Where U.S. companies should spend money first if they only have one priority ▪️ Why local advisors, local context, and trusted people matter when expanding into Europe David’s line that stuck with Dan: “They may not make nearly as much money as you do, but they have a lot of dignity.” That sentence is the whole episode. It is the warning for every U.S. company trying to enter Europe with the wrong posture. Watch the full conversation with Dan Griffith and David Borinstein on Seriously Don’t Do That. 🎙️ Seriously Don’t Do That Hosted by Dan Griffith Guest: David Borinstein Firm: Liberius Topic: U.S. companies entering Europe, European market entry, international business development, EU legal exposure, Belgium business culture, and cross-border sales strategy #SeriouslyDontDoThat #EuropeMarketEntry #InternationalBusiness #B2BSales #GoToMarketStrategy LinkedIn | WEBSITE
