To manage a global business across diverse markets, build a single platform with enough built-in flexibility to meet local regulatory and cultural needs. This avoids the massive overhead of redeveloping features for each market or maintaining a complex, fragmented system.
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To manage enablement across 180 markets, Lenovo avoids a purely centralized or decentralized model. Instead, they focus on "harmonizing" foundational elements like customer data centrally. This creates a unified, reliable data layer that then empowers local teams to execute culturally relevant enablement programs effectively.
Experian uses a federated model where central functions like technology set global standards for security and governance, while regional CEOs adapt products to local economic contexts and regulations. This balances efficiency with market relevance.
Square's product development is guided by the principle that "a seller should never outgrow Square." This forces them to build a platform that serves businesses from their first sale at a farmer's market all the way to operating in a large stadium, continuously adding capabilities to manage growing complexity.
Just Eat Takeaway observes strong demand for new services like grocery in specific markets first. They develop solutions there, gaining insights and building features that are ready to deploy globally as consumer demand emerges elsewhere, turning regional trends into a strategic advantage.
Building a true platform requires designing components to be general-purpose, not use-case specific. For instance, creating one Kanban board for sales, support, and engineering. This thoughtful approach imposes a ~20% development 'tax' upfront but creates massive speed and leverage in the future.
When rolling out global initiatives, co-create a solution with key markets that addresses 80% of needs. Intentionally leave 20% for local markets to customize, ensuring the strategy is both consistent and flexible enough to work in diverse environments.
A one-size-fits-all approach stifles innovation in global companies. To build trust and adapt effectively, leaders must empower local teams with decision-making authority. This respects crucial market-specific cultural nuances and consumer behaviors.
Avoid the trap of building features for a single customer, which grinds products to a halt. When a high-stakes customer makes a specific request, the goal is to reframe and build it in a way that benefits the entire customer base, turning a one-off demand into a strategic win-win.
Instead of viewing platform constraints as a weakness, Rippling's PMs leverage shared components, like its powerful 'groups' feature, to create superior product experiences. This turns the platform into a competitive advantage for individual product lines, not a compromise on quality, by offering capabilities standalone products lack.
To avoid the customization vs. scalability trap, SaaS companies should build a flexible, standard product that users never outgrow, like Lego or Notion. The only areas for customization should be at the edges: building any data source connector (ingestion) or data destination (egress) a client needs.
