We make B2B software that we sell in multiple EU countries.
There's just such a huge difference between the countries when it comes to anything official. Access to systems can require a local office or partner, which can sometimes be very tricky. This was a blocker for us in one country until we hired someone native to that country, so they could act on our behalf.
Laws are very different. EU sets the bounds, but there's still a lot of local variation in how the various EU mandates are implemented. Thus you frequently need per-country tweaks, or even separate implementations in some instances.
Then there's the languages. While English-only is OK for some applications, for many it is not. So you need to translate, a lot. Regardless you'll need to support multiple different regional settings and keyboard layouts. So there's a lot more testing to be done and bugs to be had there.
Have studied and interfaced with EU partners. The ambition and the federal grants to do something the bureaucrats want does hold them back. Also, brain drain to the US due to higher pay.
There's just such a huge difference between the countries when it comes to anything official. Access to systems can require a local office or partner, which can sometimes be very tricky. This was a blocker for us in one country until we hired someone native to that country, so they could act on our behalf.
Laws are very different. EU sets the bounds, but there's still a lot of local variation in how the various EU mandates are implemented. Thus you frequently need per-country tweaks, or even separate implementations in some instances.
Then there's the languages. While English-only is OK for some applications, for many it is not. So you need to translate, a lot. Regardless you'll need to support multiple different regional settings and keyboard layouts. So there's a lot more testing to be done and bugs to be had there.