When an American lawyer moves to London to help European companies crack the US market, he brings a unique perspective on what actually works—and what doesn’t.
In Episode 5 of Scaling Stateside, we sat down with Daniel Glazer, Principal at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and head of their London office. Dan’s career path is the reverse of most US expansion stories: he’s an American who moved across the Atlantic to build bridges between the European and American tech ecosystems.
From his early days processing record numbers of cars at a Burger King drive-through to advising some of Europe’s most promising tech companies through their US expansion journey, Dan brings hard-won insights about what it really takes to succeed on both sides of the pond.
The American Who Went East
Most conversations about US expansion focus on European founders making the westward journey. Dan’s story flips that script.
After building his legal career in New York working with tech companies during the late 90s dot-com era, Dan spent years helping UK and European startups navigate the US market. In 2018, he made it official—moving to London full-time to open Wilson Sonsini’s office there.
Why would a successful New York lawyer relocate to London?
Because he recognized something crucial: European companies need people who truly understand both markets, not just one side giving advice about the other.
London’s Pre-Pandemic Meeting Culture
One of Dan’s most interesting observations centers on how business gets done in London versus the US—particularly before the pandemic changed everything.
In London, Dan describes a business culture built on in-person relationships and concentrated geography. The City of London—the financial district—is just one square mile. You can walk across it in fifteen minutes. That physical proximity created a meeting culture where face-to-face conversations were the norm.
“London is a very in-person place for getting things done,” Dan explains. “You’d have meetings all day. Breakfast meetings, coffee meetings, lunch meetings, drinks meetings.”
This stands in contrast to the US, where geographic sprawl and time zones made phone calls and video conferences standard operating procedure long before COVID forced everyone online.
For European founders expanding to the US, understanding these cultural differences matters. American buyers and investors operate differently not because they’re fundamentally different people, but because they’ve developed different working norms shaped by different constraints.
Why Americans Want to Believe
Here’s where Dan’s perspective gets especially valuable for European founders: his insight into the American buyer mentality.
“Americans on average are willing to be more aggressive in purchasing innovation or trying out innovation,” Dan explains. “They’re willing to do more to gain some sort of incremental advantage than almost anywhere in the world.”
This is crucial for European companies to understand. You’re not just pitching to a bigger market—you’re pitching to a market that’s culturally wired to seek competitive advantage through early adoption.
Dan continues: “You are pitching to a market that wants to believe. They want to find the better mousetrap that you’ve built and get that edge.”
This doesn’t mean selling in the US is easy. It means the psychology is different. American buyers aren’t inherently more skeptical than European buyers—they’re actually more willing to take a bet on innovation if you can articulate the competitive advantage clearly.
The Product-Market Fit Trap
One of Dan’s most important warnings for European founders centers on a dangerous assumption: that product-market fit on one side of the Atlantic means you have it on the other.
“Don’t assume that product market fit on one side of the Atlantic means that you have product market fit on the other side of the Atlantic,” Dan cautions. “It doesn’t all translate equally. Even if it’s called the same thing on either side of the Atlantic, it may not be the same thing.”
This is where many European expansions stumble. Founders arrive in the US with validated models, strong ARR growth, and happy customers back home. They assume the US is just the same game on a bigger playing field.
It’s not.
The VP of Sales you’re selling to in San Francisco isn’t the same buyer as the VP of Sales you closed in London—even if they have the same title, work at similar companies, and face similar challenges. They operate in different ecosystems with different competitive pressures, different urgency levels, and different expectations.
Your European playbook won’t automatically work in America. You’re not scaling a proven model—you’re validating a new market.
The Long Game: Patience and Perseverance
Perhaps Dan’s most profound insight comes from reflecting on his own journey building something meaningful over decades.
“You’d be surprised at how little you can accomplish in a short period of time, but how much you can accomplish in a long period of time,” Dan shares. “If you’re committed and you keep at it, you don’t get discouraged, over time you really can accomplish a lot.”
This perspective stands in stark contrast to the startup world’s obsession with blitzscaling and rapid growth. Dan’s advice—honed through years of working with companies at every stage—is simpler and more sustainable: Just be patient. It’s all going to be okay.
For founders facing pressure from boards, investors, and themselves to show immediate traction in the US market, this message matters. Building something real takes time. The companies that succeed in the US are the ones that commit for the long haul, not the ones expecting quick wins.
What This Means for European Founders
Dan’s insights cluster around a few critical themes every European founder should internalize before expanding to the US:
- Build Authentic Relationships in Both Markets
Success requires credibility and presence on both sides of the Atlantic. You can’t effectively expand to the US while remaining anchored entirely in Europe. Physical presence matters. Relationships matter. Showing up matters.
- Understand Cultural Differences in Buying Behavior
American buyers approach innovation differently than European buyers. They’re more willing to take calculated risks on new solutions if you can articulate the competitive advantage. Tailor your pitch accordingly.
- Re-validate Your Product-Market Fit
Don’t assume your European success translates directly. Test. Iterate. Be willing to be wrong about what you thought you knew. The market will tell you what it needs—listen.
- Play the Long Game
Building something meaningful takes time. Give yourself grace. The pressures from boards, investors, and family are real, but expansion is a journey that unfolds over years, not quarters.
- Leverage the Right Support Network
Whether it’s legal counsel who understands both markets, business partners with operational experience on both sides, or advisors who’ve made the journey themselves—having people who truly understand both ecosystems is invaluable.
From Burger King to Building Bridges
We’d be remiss not to mention one of the episode’s more entertaining revelations: Dan’s first paid job at age 14 was as a cashier at a brand new Burger King, where he took the very first order and set the record for most cars processed through the drive-through.
Three years later, he was “poached” by McDonald’s across the street for 25 cents more per hour.
It’s a reminder that everyone’s career starts somewhere. The path from fast food cashier to leading a major law firm’s international office isn’t linear—but it’s built on the same principles Dan emphasizes for founders: patience, persistence, and a willingness to keep learning.
Listen to the Full Episode
This post only scratches the surface of our conversation with Dan. In the full episode, we dig deeper into:
- How Wilson Sonsini pioneered the model of working with startups from garage stage through IPO
- The challenges of building a blended American-English team in London
- Why New York remains central to American business despite the rise of other tech hubs
- Dan’s reflections on the dot-com era and what’s different about today’s tech environment
- Practical advice for founders navigating the transatlantic expansion journey
Listen to Episode 5 on YouTube, Spotify, Apple, or your favorite podcast app.
Ready to Expand Stateside?
At US Expansion Partners, we help UK and European venture-backed tech startups navigate exactly the challenges Dan describes. We’ve walked this path with dozens of companies, and we know where founders typically stumble—and how to avoid those pitfalls.
If you’re planning your US expansion and want to talk through your specific situation, get in touch with our team. We’ll tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.
About Scaling Stateside: Hosted by David Rose and Matt Oxley of US Expansion Partners, Scaling Stateside brings you candid conversations with founders, investors, and advisors about the realities of expanding from Europe to the United States. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
