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6 - Dewak: The positioning and growth of a born global software firm from a developing country

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 August 2013

By
Sascha Fuerst
Edited by
Prem Ramburuth ,
Christina Stringer  and
Manuel Serapio
Prem Ramburuth
Affiliation:
University of New South Wales, Sydney
Christina Stringer
Affiliation:
University of Auckland
Manuel Serapio
Affiliation:
University of Colorado, Denver
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Summary

We are not so interested in our home market [Colombia] because it is not very attractive related to profit and experience. Being in international markets provides us with more experience – experience regarding competitiveness. Our international market experience makes us look more attractive, more competitive. It is very different to do business with foreigners than with nationals. For instance, you have to deal with another language [English] and then there is the importance of punctuality. Here they are more relaxed concerning deadlines. The culture is very different. The learning we experience internationally definitely makes us more competitive.

– Carlos Orozco, General Manager of Dewak, 2010

Introduction

In February 2008, following the insolvency of their former employer (a small software company), Andres, Carlos, Daniel, Diego and Nicolas suddenly found themselves unemployed. They met for coffee in one of Medellín’s shopping malls to discuss their future careers. Considering their educational and professional backgrounds in systems engineering and informatics, they decided to focus on a software business.

Andres, Carlos, Daniel, Diego and Nicolas started to work as a team of freelancers for Kayako customisation services. While working for their former employer, they had gained exposure to the open-source customer-support solutions of Kayako. Nevertheless, the business opportunity of customisation services for Kayako solutions was never exploited, due to the insolvency of their former firm.

Type
Chapter
Information
Dynamics of International Business: Asia-Pacific Business Cases , pp. 63 - 72
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2013

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References

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