Cultural Sensitivity in Building Global Startups

The world is big, and people are different. When you build a startup, staying in your comfort zone is easy. But if you want to grow, you must understand the world. You’ll need to understand people. This means knowing the nuances of global cultures. Respecting different cultures is as important as the product you build.

People don’t think and don’t live the same everywhere. Neither do they buy the same way.

One wrong translation in a specific language can turn your marketing words into a joke or an insult. The Chinese translation of Pepsi’s marketing copy, “Pepsi brings you back to life,” sounded like they were bringing people back from the dead.

The Japanese view privacy differently than Americans. Airbnb, an American company, had to rethink its tactics when launching in Japan.

Startups need to understand the people they’re selling to. Every market is different. People live differently, work differently, and shop differently.

An Indian will know what works in India, just as a Brazilian will have insights into what doesn’t work in South America. A team should try to understand the cultures they’re targeting. It is a good investment for a Startup team to learn about the customs and values of other cultures.

For instance, Americans are more direct, usually saying yes or no. In eastern culture, people are polite, and they might not just say no. They won’t say no, even if they mean no. So, if you’re not paying attention, you might think they agree with you when they don’t.

In some cultures, colors or symbols have different meanings. For example, red might mean “stop” in one place and “good luck” in another.

Business isn’t just about transactions. In many cultures, it’s about relationships. If people don’t trust you, they won’t buy from you. They won’t partner with you. And trust isn’t something you can demand. You have to earn it.

In Asia, business deals don’t happen right away. First, you build a relationship, get to know each other, and then do business. If you rush this, you’re very likely to fail.

A startup grows by understanding people. If you want to go global, you need to understand different cultures and respect them. Make cultural sensitivity part of your company’s DNA. Build a team that gets it. Adapt your product when you need to.