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A proven joint venture model generated billions across Europe, but when it reached the US market, it failed. The technology worked and the business case was fully established, yet the operating model simply wasn't portable. This article draws on insights from Elaine Barsoom, who led innovation partnerships at both American Express and Nike. It explores how organizational behavior and fragmented operating models undermine AI adoption long before the technology itself fails. The companies seeing meaningful returns from AI recognized early that the technology was never going to be the hardest part. Redesigning how people work around it is.

Localization strategy

A model that generated billions in Europe didn’t survive the US market

The companies capturing real value from AI aren't the ones with the biggest budgets or the most sophisticated tooling. They're the ones that understood early that the technology was never going to be the hardest part.
Kevin O'Donnell, founder of Global10x and former VP of International Growth at Dropbox, joined Jason Hemingway on the In Other Words podcast to talk about the reporting gap that's hiding international growth problems in plain sight, and why the teams closest to the data are making it worse.

Localization strategy

Why most companies don’t have an international dashboard, and what it’s costing them

When you break global revenue down by individual market, patterns emerge that should be driving strategic decisions. Most companies don't have the reporting infrastructure to see them.
Kevin O'Donnell, founder of Global10x and former VP of International Growth at Dropbox, joined Jason Hemingway on the In Other Words podcast to talk about why the most common approach to international growth is also the one most likely to fail, and what companies need to change.

Localization strategy

Why treating international growth as a bolt-on keeps failing, and what shifting left fixes

Shifting left means bringing localization expertise into product and go-to-market decisions at the planning stage, not at launch. Here's what that looks like in practice.
Kevin O'Donnell smiling in business attire on purple gradient background with text "Global by design, not by default"

Localization strategy

Global by design, not by default

International growth fails when it is treated as a bolt-on. Kevin O'Donnell explains why SaaS companies need global-first operating models, dedicated accountability, market-level dashboards, and localization infrastructure built for scale.

Global business

Why video localization belongs in your core workflow

For many localization teams, video still sits outside the system. Text moves through mature workflows, while audio and video rely on separate vendors, tools, and review processes. The next step is not simply localizing more video, but integrating it into the operating model for global content.
David Aaker in suit and glasses on purple gradient background with Phrase and Prophet logos, discussing short-term thinking

Localization strategy

David Aaker: Why brand strength is being quietly eroded by short-term thinking

David Aaker, widely regarded as the Father of Modern Branding, explains why awareness is no longer the problem, relevance is, and why leaders who reduce brand to performance metrics are undermining their own growth.
Executive Insights panel featuring three speakers: Georg Ell CEO of Phrase, Dr. Arle Lommel Director of Data Services at CSA Research, and Chris Dell Senior Advisor and Coach, discussing scaling content to win customers

Global business

Is your content winning customers or just reaching them?

The assumption that content which reaches customers will also win them is costing global organizations more than most of their dashboards will ever show. Georg Ell, CEO of Phrase; Dr. Arle Lommel, Senior Analyst at CSA Research; and Chris Dell, who built and led a 400-person global content organization at Booking.com, have each watched that assumption fail at scale, and their diagnosis of why it keeps failing points to decisions being made long before a single word of content is written.
Localization workflow automation: 10 ways modern teams scale global content

Localization strategy

Localization workflow automation: 10 ways modern teams scale global content

Discover ten practical localization workflow automations from CMS integration to custom MT training that reduce errors, streamline processes, and help teams scale effortlessly. Learn how automation can revolutionize your localization strategy
Vintage red and white movie theater marquee displaying "LJUBAV AUSTING PHRASE/ARGOS" in multiple languages

Localization strategy

Loc360°: What global content leaders are talking about in 2026

Across five global cities, content and localization leaders are rethinking how their work drives business impact. From shifting perceptions of value to navigating AI and data challenges, these are the themes shaping global content strategies right now.