Building a repeatable US revenue engine.

CEO, Greater Gain Group

Partner, Amesto Global

Sims: Many of the international Founders we support arrive in the United States with strong traction in their home markets. Their product works, early customer acquisition looks promising and they have growing confidence that the US will mirror the success seen in their home market.

What we often see instead is friction in the first ninety days. Positioning, pricing, buyer urgency and competitive alternatives all behave differently in the United States. In many cases, the first adjustment Founders must make is not operational at all, but mindset-driven.

What is the first GTM adjustment international Founders must make to avoid stalling out in their first ninety days in the US?

Answered by Dan Griffith – Founder & CEO of Greater Gain Group and host of the Seriously Don’t Do That™ podcast

Dan: International Founders must be sure that they intimately understand their target market in the US (or what we call the ideal customer profile). Many times, this target does not mirror where they’ve had success in their home market, specifically because the US market is oftentimes much more segmented.

The Founder needs to understand: 

• The specific problem/challenge(s) their product or service solves

• What kind of companies have these problems

• More specifically, who in these companies have the problem and are willing to write a check to solve them 

• How the people in these companies talk about their problem and where they look for resources to solve their problem

• What the common triggers are for increasing urgency to address the problem

Without this depth of understanding, early momentum tends to stall.

Sims: A common pattern we observe is that companies rush to hire their first US salesperson before the underlying revenue engine is ready to support them. Founders are understandably eager to “plant the flag,” but without the right commercial infrastructure, even a highly capable salesperson will struggle. When the foundational systems are not in place, the first hire becomes an expensive experiment rather than an accelerant.

Before companies invest in US-based sales roles, what foundational revenue systems must exist so the first salesperson does not fail?

Dan: First, a clear understanding of their Ideal Customer Profile. Second, an outreach engine that generates sales focused conversations with their ICP. And third, a scalable, defined process that moves prospects from initial engagement to closed customer.

Without these elements, hiring sales only magnifies existing gaps.

Sims: One of the biggest surprises for international teams is how quickly their well-tested GTM messaging loses momentum in the United States. What resonated with European or domestic buyers often does not land with a US enterprise prospect. This breakdown is rarely due to product gaps; instead, the disconnect usually stems from positioning, perceived value or an incomplete understanding of the US buyer psychology.

Iteration is a natural part of entering any new market. The harder challenge is recognizing whether you are experiencing normal early friction or receiving early signals that something more fundamental is not working. We often see Founders push forward on optimism, even as early data suggests recalibration is needed. 

From your perspective, where do GTM messages most commonly break down when companies scale into the US, and what early indicators signal that it is time to step back and rethink the value proposition?

Dan: The US market is laser focused on value and time to value. This means that messaging needs to explicitly target, from the first touchpoint, how a company’s product or service provides value and the time it takes to achieve that value. It’s a bonus if you can tie your value to increased revenue or gross profit, because these initiatives oftentimes close the quickest.

An early signal showing need for recalibration is a lot of good “conversations” but no progress in an actual sales opportunity.  We commonly call that “ghosting”—and the primary reason is that value and time to value haven’t been addressed in the first conversation. When this happens, going back and reviewing the ICP is the first step in this re-calibration. 

International companies often underestimate just how complex and fragmented the US market really is. This is especially true in verticals such as healthcare, where the buyer ecosystem extends far beyond obvious segments like providers.

What we typically see is that companies begin their US journey with an overly broad Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), and without careful refinement, they waste valuable time speaking to the wrong audiences. Nuance matters here: regional differences, vertical sub-segments and purchasing structures can completely reshape a company’s commercial approach.

How should Founders navigate regional differences and industry sub-segments to accurately tune their ICP to the US market?

Dan: This should be driven by starting with the problem/challenge that the Founder’s product solves.  Starting there and then looking at who has the problem (and more importantly who will write a check to solve it) really helps to get a Founder into the right markets.  

Also, having someone who understands the various market opportunities can go a long way to having success quicker.  And understanding that the purchasing process can be long in the US market, but you can run a lot of the process concurrently if you manage by an established internal process mapped to your buyer’s journey. 

Sims: A pivotal inflection point occurs when companies move beyond their initial Founder-led sales motion. At this stage, international companies ask us how to institutionalize what “works” so they can scale without losing momentum. In our experience, this transition succeeds only when companies build repeatable systems rather than replicate Founder intuition. This is where operational rigor becomes a competitive advantage.

For companies moving beyond their initial sales motion, what is the most important step to build a repeatable, scalable revenue engine without losing deal momentum?

Dan: First, making sure that your marketing and sales process mirrors the buying process of your ideal customer.  We like to say, ‘help your customer buy from you, don’t sell to them’. 

Second, the engine should have clear steps, with entry and exit criteria, so that the entire organization understand where deals are at.  Finally, qualification should be rigorous—meaning that we qualify out early so we don’t spend time on opportunities that won’t close.  This means socializing pricing on the first call and confirming buying stakeholders and process early.

Sims: After supporting hundreds of international expansion journeys, we have seen clear patterns in what companies should avoid during their first year in the United States. It felt only fitting to end our conversation with your curated list of pitfalls that EU/UK SaaS companies must avoid as they scale into the US.

What are the top “Seriously Don’t Do That™” mistakes international companies should avoid when entering the US, and what should they do instead?

Dan: Entering the U.S. market is one of the most common growth milestones for international companies. It’s also one of the easiest ways to destroy momentum if founders follow familiar—but flawed—assumptions. Over the last decade, we’ve seen the same patterns repeat. Talented teams. Strong products. Reasonable plans. And yet, stalled pipeline, burned cash, and confused boards.

Below are the most common “Seriously Don't Do That™” mistakes Founders make when entering the U.S. market—and what they should do instead.

Dan's Final Takeaway

Most EU and UK SaaS companies don’t fail in the U.S. because they lack ambition or product quality. They fail because they skip sequencing. The companies that succeed don’t rush headcount or mimic competitors. They install clarity first, systems second, and scale third—keeping growth capital-efficient and credibility intact. Or said more simply: Seriously—don’t do that. Build the engine first.

International expansion is not simply a matter of “copy and paste.” It requires deliberate adaptation across product, positioning, revenue operations and team structure. The companies that win in the United States are those that understand the market’s complexity, accept that their first assumptions may need to evolve and invest early in the systems that drive long-term scale.

Dan’s insights illuminate exactly how Founders can navigate these challenges and build a US presence that not only takes off, but sustains momentum year over year.