I’m at the point where I need to partner with someone on the US side—whether that’s an agency, a consultant, or maybe even someone to hire full-time. But here’s my real problem: I don’t know how to evaluate whether someone actually knows the US market vs. just talking about it. And I’m terrified of hiring wrong and wasting months or money.
In Russia, I have reputation networks—I can call someone and ask about someone else, that kind of thing. In the US, I’m starting from zero, which is humbling. I’ve had some people pitch me, and honestly, they all sound good on a call. That’s not helpful.
I’m looking for someone who understands influencer marketing, ideally has worked with international brands before, and can help us navigate the market without me having to micromanage every decision. But I don’t want to hire a vendor who just executes what I tell them—I want someone who brings actual strategic input.
How do you actually vet partners when you don’t have a built-in network to lean on? What questions do you ask? What are the red flags vs. green flags? And how much do you actually trust your gut vs. wanting proof of their approach?
Oh man, this is exactly what I do for a living, and I’m telling you—the vetting process matters way more than you think.
First thing: don’t vet them alone. Bring other people into the conversation. I know you don’t have a US network, but even in our community here, you can ask people. “Hey, has anyone worked with [person/agency]? What was your experience?” You’d be amazed at what you find out.
Second: ask for client references—but talk to the right clients. Don’t just take who they give you. Ask for references specifically from brands that are internationally-rooted or have done market entry. Someone with US-only experience might not understand your specific challenges. You want someone who’s navigated cross-border expansion.
Third—and this is crucial—run a small test project before committing to anything long-term. Give them a specific, limited brief: “We’re testing this UGC concept in the US market. Help us figure out positioning and identify 10 potential creators.” See how they think, what they recommend, and whether their advice is actually strategic or just surface-level.
You’ll learn more from a $2-3K test project than from a dozen calls.
Green flags: they ask you questions before giving answers, they understand your Russian roots aren’t a liability but valuable context, they have specific examples (not generic advice), they encourage you to test and iterate rather than committing big budget upfront.
Red flags: they talk more than they listen, they promise guaranteed results, they want big upfront commitment, they don’t ask about your specific market or audience.
Also—and I can’t stress this enough—find someone who wants to work with international founders. There are people in the US who get energized by that challenge. Those are your people. Avoid people who treat it as just another project.
From an analytical perspective, here’s how I’d approach this:
Red Flags—Do Not Pass:
- They can’t show you case studies or results from competitive products in your space. Not necessarily the exact same product, but adjacent category. If they say “we work with CPG brands,” ask for 3 examples and results.
- They quote you for strategy without understanding your market size, budget, or specific goals. Lazy partnering.
- They talk about TikTok and Instagram without asking which audience you’re targeting or why. Platform choice matters, and if they’re prescriptive without understanding your specifics, they’re template-based.
- They don’t have experience with influencer ROI measurement. This is your bread and butter in 2024, and if they can’t speak fluently about CAC, ROAS, attribution—move on.
Green Flags—Good Sign:
- They ask about your Russian market performance data. They want to understand what worked there to contextualize what might work here.
- They understand the difference between US and Russian market dynamics and can articulate it. Not just “Americans like authenticity” (generic), but specific insights like “US audiences have higher skepticism of new brands, so social proof matters earlier in funnel.”
- They have experience with at least 2-3 brands that successfully entered new markets.
- They can walk you through their measurement framework before you hire them. They know what success looks like and how to measure it.
The Vetting Process I’d Use:
- Ask for 3-5 case studies from brands entering new markets. Review them.
- Call those references. NOT the person the partner recommends—call them and ask: “What would you do differently if you hired them again? What surprised you?”
- Give them a small analytical challenge: here’s your Russia data, what questions would you ask in the US market, what would you want to test first? See how they think.
- Ask about their own measurement framework. If they hesitate or give vague answers, they’re not your person.
- Check if they’re collaborative or command-and-control. You want someone who explains recommendations, not just executes.
Cost for this vetting? Maybe 20 hours of your time, some calls with references. Worth every minute to avoid hiring wrong.
One more thing: if someone pitches you on a big, comprehensive strategy before they understand your business, that’s a yellow flag. Real strategy requires learning first. Be suspicious of anyone who has answers too quickly.
I literally just went through this, so forgive me if I’m still a bit raw about it. I hired someone who looked amazing on paper—great resume, worked at a big brand-side company, seemed to get international expansion. Spent the first three weeks asking me questions I’d already answered, didn’t bring original thinking to the table, and generally felt like a slow junior person dressed up as a senior advisor.
Here’s what I’ve learned from that disaster and then hiring someone actually good:
The test project approach is legit. I gave my current advisor (much better hire) a small test: “Here’s our positioning in Russia. You have one week to recommend positioning for the US market and identify 5 potential creator partnerships.” How they approached it told me everything. They asked clarifying questions, did some research, came back with thoughtful recommendations backed by reasoning. My bad hire just wanted to know my budget first.
Talk to founders, not just the hiring companies. I found my current person by asking other founders in a Slack I’m in: “Who’ve you worked with on US expansion and actually respected?” That referral + test project = best decision I made.
Watch how they handle disagreement. When I pushed back on one of their recommendations, did they get defensive or did they engage? Good partners should be comfortable with push-back and able to defend their thinking.
Check if they understand international founder dynamics. You and I have context that US-native founders don’t have. A good partner understands we’re not starting from zero—we’ve built something that worked in one market, and we’re bringing that mindset and intelligence to a new market. A bad partner treats you like a startup founder who’s never launched anything.
The person I’m working with now gets this. She doesn’t treat my Russian market experience like a handicap; she treats it like valuable intel.
Also: honestly, I would have saved myself time and money by doing one test project with three different people simultaneously, comparing their recommendations, and then hiring the best. Cost me ~$1.5K total for test projects. Saved me from hiring wrong for $50K+ / 6 months. Totally worth it.
One more tactical thing: look for people/agencies that have worked with other Russian-rooted founders. Not required, but if they have that experience, they’re already past the learning curve on some aspects of your world. Saves time.
One last thought: the fact that you’re thinking about this carefully is good. Too many founders hire fast and regret it. You’re taking time, asking questions, and thinking about fit. That discipline will serve you well.