Six questions to settle before taking software global
Before the first line of localization, six things decide whether a product can operate for years.
Many teams treat “going global” as translating the interface and finding ad channels, and leave compliance as something to patch after launch. In reality, compliance gaps tend to detonate exactly when a product is most successful — when remediation is most expensive.
The six questions
1. Data and privacy. What do you collect, where does it live, does it cross borders, and how do users consent and withdraw? This decides whether you brush against high-penalty regimes.
2. App stores. App Store and Google Play review and payment policies are a direct cause of delisting. Consider them at design time, not after rejection.
3. Payments and settlement. Cross-border acquiring, subscriptions, repatriation, and tax all need a compliant design.
4. Content and platform liability. If you host user content, moderation, minor protection, and reporting are not optional.
5. Localization and legal. Language is the entry point; payments, channels, and local legal are the substance.
6. Security and trust. Enterprise buyers will send you a security questionnaire. Have the answers ready.
Settle these six, and expansion has a foundation. Skip them, and you are building on sand.
The cross-border advisory team behind Lexbridge & IPBridge, writing practical notes on going global.