CES Practical Dialogue on AI Overseas Expansion: Core Hard Metrics Including Compliance, Market Demand, Customer Acquisition, Brand Building and Local Talent

NewTimeSpace reports that based on closed-door forum minutes obtained byUnique Research during CES 2026, frontline practitioners including AgentX AI founder Robin Wang, AGTM founder Aimee Yang, and Acorn Pacific Ventures investor Benny Liao engaged in deep dialogue on AI companies' global expansion, revealing core shifts in 2026 market entry strategies. The primary consensus reached by participants: any overseas expansion before fully achieving product-market fit (PMF), economic model, and sales process in the domestic market constitutes resource waste and creates extremely heavy burdens.

From a B2B perspective, Robin Wang explicitly stated that compliance has become the top priority for global expansion. Using the European market as an example, he emphasized that regulations such as GDPR are mandatory thresholds to cross. "Don't spend enormous effort only to discover you can't sell to customers due to compliance issues," Wang remarked, noting this has become a prerequisite for entering Europe. Aimee Yang supplemented from a growth perspective that the era when excellent technology alone could secure market entry has ended; now localization and product philosophy alignment are critical. Products must adapt to local cultural context and narrative frameworks, requiring extensive user research rather than relying purely on technological advantages.

Regarding how to most capital-efficiently verify overseas demand authenticity, the three speakers provided clear answers. For enterprise services, Robin Wang proposed that paid POC (Proof of Concept) is the sole standard for testing client sincerity. The specific operational path: initial contact and demo presentation → conducting a 2-3 month paid POC (must charge fees covering consulting and customization services) → issuing an ROI report at POC conclusion to prove value → converting to long-term contracts. "If clients aren't willing to pay for POC, it shows they're not serious at all," Wang emphasized. "We must demonstrate why this can deliver value and ultimately provide an ROI report."

Benny Liao offered straightforward advice: founders must physically go overseas. He stated clearly: "If you want to pursue global expansion, the simple solution is: as founder, you must relocate to your target market. Live there, learn their language, study competitors, talk to customers personally. Sending employees or remote control won't work." This viewpoint gained unanimous recognition, becoming the core hard metric for AI global expansion in 2026.

On early-stage customer acquisition channels, Aimee Yang believes founders' investor network (warm intros) is the most efficient method. Robin Wang added two specific pathways: leveraging accelerator/incubator resources and attending industry vertical conferences to directly access decision-makers (such as innovation heads and AI department directors). Benny Liao cautioned that SEO/SEM works too slowly initially, making direct sales more effective.

Regarding the choice of first local hire, the three speakers had slight differences but core consistency. Benny Liao believes the ideal first choice is the founder themselves; if hiring externally, don't worship "big-tech executives" but select young, hungry generalists who understand both technology and GTM. Aimee Yang emphasized needing a "market translator"—a versatile talent who can handle registration documents, negotiate business, and communicate efficiently with headquarters. Robin Wang stated that if the founder cannot reside long-term, they must hire a very senior sales leader, "because without understanding local sales culture and customer habits, you simply can't sell."

On measurement metrics, Benny Liao explicitly identified Net Revenue Retention (NRR) as the single most important indicator for judging the long-term health of global expansion. Robin Wang argued that client-defined ROI is more critical—whether customers achieve their expected success metrics after one year of product usage directly determines renewal rates. Aimee Yang added that beyond financial metrics, brand philosophy alignment is equally important; whether customers truly identify with your values and product philosophy determines their long-term lifetime value.

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