A company's top German engineer admitted he felt "like a child" and began to withdraw after English became the mandatory business language. This reveals a critical risk: a lingua franca policy without support can silence top talent, leading to a culture where the loudest are heard, not the most competent.

When SPS Commerce acquired a Dutch company, they discovered their lawyers in the Netherlands could not advise on French labor laws for the target's Paris office. This highlights that "Europe is not one country" in M&A; acquirers need a separate bench of local experts for each jurisdiction.

While leveraging automated translation tools saves time, the output is not business-ready. ECI was surprised by the number of edits required from their native German-speaking employees, who spent significant time proofreading to ensure accuracy for customer-facing materials.

Due diligence cannot quantify a team's crucial soft skills. When an acquirer forces change aggressively post-close, they risk an exodus of these skills and key talent, maximizing the chance of the investment failing. A partnership approach that preserves talent for at least the first year is a much safer strategy.

Unlike previous deals, a German acquisition required a complete, simultaneous language localization across all systems. This "language lift" included everything from the website and lead-gen to contracts, support portals, invoices, and automated billing reminders, all launching on the same day.

Don't assume selling in Europe is the same as North America; it constitutes a new market entry. Companies often make a 'ton of assumptions' about marketing data, buying cycles, language, and regulations, underestimating the difficulty and risk of the move.

Adi, a Colombian company, operates entirely in English. While this helps attract global talent, its non-obvious benefit is attracting top-tier local talent. The use of English signals a commitment to a global standard of excellence, which is a powerful draw for ambitious local professionals.

Founders often mistakenly hire offshore candidates who are fluent conversationalists, only to find their work product is poor. A better indicator of success is strong reading comprehension and written ability, as many global education systems prioritize these skills over spoken fluency.

Surprises are best uncovered during due diligence. Finding them after closing, even if they seem beneficial (like an un-negotiated supplier contract), indicates flawed homework and disrupts the integration plan, damaging credibility with stakeholders.