be a horseman, your product needs to get a passport—that is, go global
—before the kid starts kindergarten (five years old or less). Was this
true of the Four when they started? No, except for Google. But the very
presence of the horsemen has subsequently changed the rules.
“Facebook Users in the World.” Internet World Stats.
“Facebook’s Average Revenue Per User as of 4th Quarter 2016, by Region (in U.S. Dollars).” Statista.
Millward, Steven. “Asia Is Now Facebook’s Biggest Region.” Tech in Asia.
Thomas, Daniel. “Amazon Steps Up European Expansion Plans.” The Financial Times.
Apple today defines what it means to be global: the brand has
largely been accepted in every sovereign nation. Google has also done
a good job—it’s strong in mature markets—but it’s been kicked out of
China. Facebook has two-thirds of its users outside the United States^4
(though half of revenues are clocked in the United States);^5 its biggest
market in terms of users is Asia,^6 which presents robust growth
opportunities. Amazon is growing faster in Europe than in the United
States.^7 It’s still not as big in Asia, but it’s a global company.