Seoul, South Korea - The Wall Street Journal #2 and national bestseller Global Class, written by Klaus Wehage and Aaron McDaniel, is expanding its reach to South Korea with a Korean translation.
The authors have announced a book tour in August to connect with South Korean business leaders, investors, and educators.
Why it matters
South Korea's selection for translation underscores the strategic importance of the country's advanced infrastructure and skilled interpreneurs.
The country's potential for companies looking to expand globally has been recognized, and both authors have experience helping South Korean founders scale their businesses.
The newly translated edition aims to support South Korean companies by addressing the unique challenges of global scaling.
It includes insights and case studies from fast-growing South Korean unicorns and other global companies.
The Key Points
- Global expansion strategies: The book emphasizes the importance of deep understanding, localization, and adopting a "global mindset" rather than simply investing in prestigious markets such as Silicon Valley.
- Understanding and localization: The book emphasizes the need to understand and adapt to local markets by challenging the notion that expansion into large markets ensures easy investment.
- Localization Resource Team (LRT): Details the need to build support functions to meet global challenges, focusing on how top companies establish scalable processes.
- Global Readiness Score: Introduced during the book tour, this analytical tool helps identify organizational gaps that can impede global success.
- Interpreneur Mindset: Emphasizes the role of culturally curious and globally minded talent in creating competitive advantage.
- Guide to International Growth: Provides a researched framework to guide leaders through different stages of growth.
- Global Class Team Building Framework: 90% of executives surveyed view talent as critical to global success and provide a framework for identifying talent gaps.
The Korean Version and What's Next
According to Wehage and McDaniel, the Korean translation required special efforts from local founders.
One of the South Korean founders in Silicon Valley used an unmarked Korean keyboard to act within the global perspective and the capability building, according to McDanield during the interview with The Pickool.
He also said to think about who can be more global: a 600-person organization with three languages or a 200-person organization with 70 different types of employees.
The authors are on their way to the launch events in Seoul and a multi-city book tour to actively engage with the Korean business community.
Developed in collaboration with prominent South Korean executives, the translation includes more than 350 pages, footnotes, and graphics.
It's positioned as a practical, data-driven guide to international business growth.
With insights that challenge conventional thinking about global investing and an emphasis on a nuanced understanding of local markets, the book is a critical resource for investors, strategists, and anyone interested in global business trends.
