Scaling your European startup in the US - Our Report

New report: Scaling your European startup in the US

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Following our after-work session with Brevo, we’ve compiled the key takeaways from our discussion on how European startups can successfully land and expand in the US market.
From go-to-market strategies to hiring frameworks and cultural nuances — it’s all in there.

From Idea to Impact: The Unfiltered Guide to Winning in the U.S. Market

At our recent event at Brevo’s HQ, founders, GTM leaders, and investors came together to unpack what it really takes to expand and win in the U.S. market.

For European startups — especially in AI — the U.S. remains the ultimate test.
The market is bigger, faster, and significantly more competitive.
For the companies that get it right, the opportunity is enormous.

What Founders Told Us

40% said cost is the biggest barrier to U.S. expansion
50% plan to build their U.S. team from day one
70% expect to launch within the next 12 months

The appetite is big — and so are the challenges.

Remote Traction Doesn’t Equal U.S. Market Fit

As Indira Ouedraogo (ex–Business France North America) put it:
“The biggest mistake founders make is assuming what worked in Europe will work in the U.S.”

Founders who succeed invest early in local research — customer pain points, competitive landscape, market behaviour — before they land.

The U.S. isn’t one market. It’s a collection of micro-markets.
What works in New York might completely fall flat in Texas or California.

GTM Strategies in Europe Don’t Always Translate

Selling into the U.S. means adapting not only your messaging, but your tempo.

American buyers:

Move faster
Expect near-instant communication
Reward confidence, clarity, and proactive follow-ups

The small details become the foundation of your credibility.

Storytelling Isn’t Optional — It’s Your Differentiator

One point resonated with the entire room:

“Americans are champions at storytelling.” — Indira Ouedraogo

Every touchpoint — your website, pitch deck, outbound message, first call — must make your prospect the hero.

You’re not selling an AI product.
You’re selling:

Transformation
Speed
Scale
Competitive advantage

That’s what buyers remember.

From GTM Theory to Practice

Will Hearn (Head of Sales Enablement, Brevo) shared how they scaled from a European email tool to a global AI-powered customer platform with $180M ARR and 25B+ messages sent monthly.

His key lessons:

• Start with clarity — ICP, persona, value prop.
• Win one engine at a time — focus sales, marketing, and product before adding complexity.
• Move fast, test faster — iterate based on micro-signals.
• Blend AI + HI — automation powered by human insight delivers the strongest results.

His summary:
“Founding sales should break rules and find traction. Later sales should build process and scale it.”

Structure Matters: The Jellysmack Model

Kim Atias shared how Jellysmack intentionally designed a “multi-zone” strategy to scale worldwide:

Paris & London → operations + creative
LA & New York → business development + brand growth
Eastern Europe → tech + data

The lesson:
Your geography must align with your mission.
Build a culture that thrives asynchronously.

Preparation Before Speed

Everyone wants to move fast.
The companies that win prepare first.

Successful U.S. expansions had:

Clear hiring and GTM plans
Defined budgets
Employer of Record frameworks ready
Recruiters who understand the market
Leadership aligned for the chaos of scaling

At Dataworks, we’ve seen this pattern repeatedly:
“Those who invest early in structure and market intelligence scale faster and hire better.”

Final Thoughts

Expanding into the U.S. isn’t a sprint — it’s a sequencing exercise.

Get your messaging right.
Get your structure right.
Get your people right.

The U.S. rewards speed — but only when combined with preparation, clarity, and bold storytelling.

Thinking About Scaling Into the U.S.?

Let’s talk.

Scaling your European startup in the US – Our Report