![How Lena Hackelöer Took Brite Payments to 27 Markets Without Local Teams [Summer Best of Series]](https://s3.castbox.fm/c1/52/da/3bd9b8abcf652382f92c98e588605d4f8c_scaled_v1_400.jpg "How Lena Hackelöer Took Brite Payments to 27 Markets Without Local Teams [Summer Best of Series]")
How Lena Hackelöer Took Brite Payments to 27 Markets Without Local Teams [Summer Best of Series]
Description
From Klarna to Brite Payments, Lena Hackelöer has built fintechs that thrive across 27 markets—without blowing the budget. In this episode, she shares battle-tested strategies for international expansion, hiring senior talent at the right moment, and balancing growth with financial discipline. Whether you're entering a new market or navigating leadership hires, Lena breaks down what actually works—and what doesn't.
You’ll learn:
How to break into new markets with no local team
Why vertical-first selling beats regional scaling (until it doesn’t)
What founders get wrong about hiring senior leaders
When to prioritize profitability vs. growth
How to stay lean without limiting ambition
Lena’s approach to building a capital-efficient, scalable business is a must-hear for any founder aiming to do more with less—and stay sane doing it.
🟢 And before you go, subscribe to our free newsletter at followthegradient.io. Twice a week, we break down startup and tech news, share exclusive insights from our podcast guests, highlight top job openings from European startups, and provide food for thought you won’t find anywhere else. 🟡
![How to Find Real Product-Market Fit: Rob Snyder’s Playbook for B2B Startups [Summer Best Of Series]](https://s3.castbox.fm/07/61/dc/4458810d19f9bc62be5d372f1e6e736d51_scaled_v1_400.jpg "How to Find Real Product-Market Fit: Rob Snyder’s Playbook for B2B Startups [Summer Best Of Series]")
![How Founders Can Master Storytelling and Crisis Comms – With Ruth Barnett [Summer Best of Series]](https://s3.castbox.fm/9a/c2/e3/dfaffd99942c9b516a5a82a8ea4d65809e_scaled_v1_400.jpg "How Founders Can Master Storytelling and Crisis Comms – With Ruth Barnett [Summer Best of Series]")
![How Christina Stahl Bootstrapped AMELI to 50’000 Sales in a Crowded Market [Summer Best of Series]](https://s3.castbox.fm/c4/19/48/614f7521f80ba1442205f6f12ffb105e3a_scaled_v1_400.jpg "How Christina Stahl Bootstrapped AMELI to 50’000 Sales in a Crowded Market [Summer Best of Series]")
United States
