🌏 How Location Dependency Blocks Global Growth

For decades, businesses operated under the assumption that in-person work was non-negotiable. We gathered in physical offices, had face-to-face meetings, and communicated primarily in real-time. And for good reason.

In-person communication is faster, clearer, and easier... if you're all in one location.

But when a business expands globally, something counterintuitive happens.

Many of those advantages of in-person work suddenly become obstacles to growth.

I've spent my entire career navigating this paradox, and what I've discovered might surprise you:

Fully remote companies often have an easier time with global growth than their hybrid or in-person counterparts.

Here's why.

In-Person Dependencies: A Hidden Barrier to Global Growth

When companies are formed entirely around in-person interactions, they can accidentally create what I call "local communication dependencies."

Teams become accustomed to:

• Walking over to someone's desk for quick answers

• Reading body language and subtle social cues

• Holding impromptu meetings when issues arise

• Sharing information through casual conversations

Most of us love working with people in person.

It's faster.

It's easier.

It's better in the moment.

But there's a gotcha.

What's the opportunity cost?

You can miss out on building important muscles you'll need later in order to scale.

Specifically, you can miss out on:

• Building mature documentation required for the same work to be done remotely

• Creating teams that do not depend on being in the same place all the time

In-person work culture can be great when everyone's in the same office.

But let's not forget how much those very companies that had location dependencies struggled during the pandemic.

There is a pendulum swing underway.

If you're trying to find the right balance, you're not alone.

No one liked it when remote work was forced on us.

But the opposite has challenges too.

Too much location dependency creates a significant disadvantage when you try to add team members in different time zones, countries, and cultures.

When work is overly location-dependent, silos can also form.

Communication can deteriorate.

Not everyone can participate in an inclusive, equitable way.

Your San Francisco team can't just "pop by" their London colleague's desk.

Your headquarters team holds crucial hallway conversations that your global team members never hear about.

The casual flow of information becomes restricted to those physically present.

The result?

Team members who are remote, or in local offices, often feel like second-class citizens.

They miss context, struggle to contribute equally, and often feel disconnected from the company's core.

Remote-First Companies Build Global-Ready Muscles

By contrast, companies that start fully remote develop communication muscles that make global expansion natural rather than forced.

They learn to:

• Document everything important in writing

• Create asynchronous decision-making processes

• Build robust knowledge management systems

• Set up operational cadences that work across geographies

• Establish clear communication protocols that cross time zones

I come from an industry that was extremely remote-friendly, hailing from my very first job at AT&T in 1996.

(Back then, we called it "telecommuting.")

I am one of the few, and the fortunate, to have nearly 30 years of practice at working remotely!

It surprises many folks that when I joined HubSpot in 2015, we didn't yet have a global remote work culture.

But, some of the good habits of documentation were already in place, which made it easier, and international expansion had already begun.

It took intentional effort, over many years, to make a deliberate shift toward many of these practices, even though we still had offices.

The result? Our global teams began to feel more integrated, more valued, and more productive.

But companies that start fully remote have these muscles built in from day one.

They don't need to unlearn old habits or change established processes.

They already operate in a way that works globally.

Which makes it far easier to scale.

The Three Stages of Global Work Maturity

I see companies fall into three distinct stages when it comes to global work readiness:

1. Location-Dependent: These companies rely heavily on in-person communication. When they try to expand globally, they struggle with information silos, conflicting processes, and cultural disconnects.

2. Remote-Tolerant: These companies accommodate remote work but still maintain location-based advantages for headquarters employees. They've made progress but still have significant global barriers to overcome.

3. Global-Native: These companies - often fully remote from the start - build all their processes around distributed, asynchronous work. They treat all employees equally regardless of location and build systems that automatically scale globally.

The difference is stark.

I once worked with two SaaS companies in the same space, and both were expanding internationally at the same time.

The location-dependent company could not even hire someone willing to work in their offices.

As a result, they took over 18 months to reach revenue targets in their new markets.

The global-native company hit the same targets in 6 months, and has since surpassed their competitor in size.

I believe that's the multiplier we'll continue to see- 3x the speed of growth for companies that don't have location dependencies.

Location fixation can result in operational blockers that hold a global business back.

Remote Work Fluency: The New Leadership Requirement

This brings me to a crucial point about leadership.

Today's global business environment demands leaders who are fluent in remote and asynchronous work.

Executives who can lead remotely have a major advantage. They can scale themselves beyond their physical location, which means their companies can scale globally with optimal efficiency.

The most successful global leaders I've worked with share these traits:

• They communicate with exceptional clarity in writing

• They build robust processes that don't depend on their presence

• They create systems that work across time zones

• They understand cultural nuances and adapt their approach accordingly

These aren't just nice-to-have skills. They're essential requirements for any leader who wants to build a truly global business.

How to Build Your Remote Work Muscles

If you're leading a team that needs to work more globally, here are some practical steps:

1. Document everything important. Create a "write it down" culture where decisions, discussions, and direction are captured in writing.

2. Build asynchronous workflows. Design processes that don't require real-time interaction to function.

3. Audit your information flow. Identify where important information gets trapped in physical locations or real-time meetings.

4. Invest in knowledge management. Make it easy for anyone to find the information they need without asking.

5. Level the playing field. If one person is remote, treat everyone as remote for important meetings and decisions.

I once had a CEO I advised tell me he couldn't possibly lead without being in the same room as his team. Six months later, when the pandemic forced his hand, he discovered he not only could lead remotely - his company actually expanded faster globally than ever before.

The muscles they built during that time completely transformed many leaders' abilities to scale internationally.

The Global Work Advantage

So while in-person work might seem easier in the short term for a single location, remote-first companies have a significant advantage when it comes to global expansion.

They've already built the communication, documentation, and asynchronous workflow muscles that global businesses need. They don't have to unlearn location-dependent habits or transform established systems.

They simply scale what already works.

That's why, counterintuitively, the companies that find global expansion easiest are often those that started fully remote - not because remote work is inherently better, but because it forces you to build the exact muscles global businesses need.

What stage is your company in?

Are you building the remote work muscles you need to scale globally?

I'm more convinced than ever that the companies that will win in the next decade are those that master the art of working effectively across both geographic and temporal distances.

This is a topic near and dear to my heart, because I firmly believe that the very best talent can come from anywhere, and so can the best business ideas.

Grace Notes

Can you believe February is finally over? For a short month, it's hard to believe how much we fit into it!

My team at Zappi and I were busy with the Super Bowl, but I also traveled to speak at various events in February, including the GDS CMO Summit last week in Boston.

I recently published an article with the CMO Council this past week too!

I can't promise it will be my last one on Super Cowl advertising, but it was one of my last pieces for Super Bowl this year!

Other Ways to Connect with Me

Thank you for reading this newsletter! I hope you found it helpful.

Here are 3 other ways we can connect:

1. Pre-order my newest book

Brand Global, Adapt Local, with Katherine Melchior Ray, is now available! This book shows how the world's best brands adapt to local markets while maintaining global consistency.

2. Schedule an author appearance

Need a speaker for an upcoming event for your team, company, association?

Get in touch: nataly (at) borntobeglobal.com.

3. Simply reach out

If you want to collaborate in some other way, let me know.

You can learn more or reach out via my website, Born to Be Global: borntobeglobal.com.

Thank you for reading!

Nataly