Excel Data exemplifies a modern global startup structure. With three of four co-founders based in India, they built their core tech team there to leverage the big data talent pool. Meanwhile, the CEO relocated to the Bay Area to establish the go-to-market and sales functions, capitalizing on both regions' strengths.

Rather than lamenting the distance from Silicon Valley, top European founders frame their location as an advantage. They become the undisputed top company for ambitious, loyal, and less-expensive talent in cities like Stockholm or Warsaw, attracting engineers eager for a generational opportunity.

SkillVari adapts its go-to-market strategy by geography. In the US, they focus on the large high school and community college vocational training market. Conversely, in Europe and Asia, their primary customer base consists of industrial companies conducting in-house employee training.

Instead of concentrating its sales force in one region, Deel hired individual salespeople in various countries early in its journey. This counterintuitive move, often criticized as defocusing, allowed the company to quickly test and understand multiple markets in parallel. This strategy was key to rapidly ramping up a global go-to-market motion with localized insights.

Despite YC's push to stay in San Francisco, Hera's founders are returning to Berlin. They believe they can hire top AI talent more affordably and with less competition than in the Bay Area. Since their product is global and consumer-facing, an SF presence isn't critical for customer acquisition.

The company leverages its remote structure by hiring strategically. A Spanish team is located near suppliers for better sourcing and relationships, while a British team focuses on the consumer market. This intentional geographic distribution optimizes both supply chain and marketing efforts.

According to Y Combinator partners, the network effects and density of talent, capital, and customers in San Francisco are so powerful that being physically based there can double a startup's chances of reaching a billion-dollar valuation compared to other major tech hubs like New York.

The founder's number one piece of advice is to 'get on the plane.' In an era of digital communication, physically meeting customers is a powerful differentiator. He was shocked by how many customers said his was the only startup vendor to ever visit their office. This direct, in-person connection provides insights that competitors miss.

The Netherlands was an ideal starting market due to high construction density (short travel to pilot sites) and a single, nationwide building code. This homogeneity simplified product development and testing, unlike fragmented markets like the US or Germany, accelerating learning loops.