Rudy Augsburger, Arrakasta — Building Bridges for Global Expansion
Rudy Augsburger is a true third-culture executive who turned two decades at Siemens and Ericsson into a high-impact advisory career helping tech companies expand across borders. Having grown up across Argentina, Trinidad & Tobago, Afghanistan, Peru, and beyond, Rudy brings rare cultural fluency and on-the-ground insight to international go-to-market, partnerships, and operations.
Why he matters: Rudy has led growth across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and the U.S., translating complex legal, tax, and cultural realities into practical expansion playbooks. His lens is entrepreneurial, hands-on, and relentlessly optimistic about opportunity.
Key Takeaways from the Episode:
Third-culture advantage: A multinational upbringing and languages translate into faster trust-building, better reads on intent, and fewer costly cultural missteps.
From corporate to founder: After ~20 years in enterprise, Rudy launched his own consultancy—hitting his first $1M in invoices in ~18 months by building a partner network across Spain, Italy, Mexico, Argentina, and the U.S.
Partner local, not expat: Skip expensive expat deployments; align with capable in-country partners and get contracts right (representation vs. resale, inventory, SLAs, exclusivity, incentives).
Mind the mechanics: Plan for taxes, healthcare, payments, currency controls, and repatriation. Avoid double taxation; verify you can actually get paid in dollars.
Where to look next: Momentum in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America; abundant software talent and mobile-first innovation (e.g., long-standing mobile payments). Remote work and video-first sales make cross-border moves more achievable than ever.
Memorable Quote:
“I would have rather worked as a barrister in Starbucks… than go back to the office.”