Unreasonable at Sea is a mentor-driven accelerator for tech entre­preneurs who aim to venture into new international markets. Each year, Unreasonable at Sea selects 11 start-ups from around the world, who set sail on a ship to visit 13 countries in 100 days. The objective is to learn the nuances of taking their businesses global. Since InMobi has crafted itself in the traditions of a global, product start-up, Inc. India spoke to Pascal Finette, mentor at the Unreason­able at Sea programme, and a founder of several mentoring companies to find out what goes into making a global business.  

What is the most important insight an entrepreneur must arm herself with before going international? 
Probably the most important insight I gained from launching products and services into new geographies is the fact that although we live in a mostly global economy, markets are still local. People in different countries perceive products and services differently, they expect them to be marketed differently, and they require them to function in specific ways. Never underestimate cul­ture. What works and is right in one market might not work at all in a different market. Take internet chat services for example. While the user interface in the western world is streamlined and clean, it is colourful and chaotic in Asia. 

How do you know when is a good time to go international? 
Generally speaking, I believe you can't afford to be only in your home market for a very long time, at least not if you aim for fast growth. I urge entrepreneurs I mentor to think global from day one—you might not launch in more than one country to begin with as you need to develop and refine your business model and processes; but you should have the plan to go international in your drawer. Having said that, if you operate in a large home market (like the US or China), it is easier to put off internationalisation longer than if you operate from a small home base. This in turn means that companies coming out of smaller home mar­kets can be at an advantage as they have to think global much earlier in their lifecycle. 

How important is it for entrepreneurs to physically spend time in major geographies before after they set up an office there? 
I believe you can't understand culture of a place if you haven't experienced it. And experiencing culture doesn't mean staying at the Hilton and spend­ing a week in meetings in coffee shops of a Seattle-based company. If cul­tural differences are small, say when you expand from UK to Germany, you can probably get by with having a local leader on the ground but if you need to bridge oceans (figuratively and literally) you're better off with spending time in the locale you want to enter. Also, expect to spend a good chunk of your time in those locales even after you have set up your office.  

When you have offices in multiple geographies, is it a good idea for all of them to be similar to one another? 
A strong company culture can transcend local cultures and helps unite people under a single flag. But, be cautious not to "export" your culture to your outposts. Allow them to add a local flavour, and make your culture their own. There are obvious differences among countries especially when it comes to labour laws. Some of these you can't work around. It's why working very hard on a "unique" company culture becomes important. It enables your global workforce to feel united, regardless of where they come from or what their cultural background is.