SimScale hired their first US-based team member in 2018 and, along with expanding our customer base and business opportunities, we have been busy growing our team ever since. Learn more about our initial phase of growth in North America, where we are today, and what SimScale can offer simulation enthusiasts in the US.
Expanding the US Team
For any European tech company with ambitions of becoming a global software provider, expanding operations in the US is a no-brainer. It offers one currency, one business language, and unlimited opportunities when it comes to business development and innovation.
Although SimScale was founded in Germany, we have sold to customers internationally since the very beginning. At first, our sales team in Munich would follow up on inbound leads for the US market, but as business interests grew we recognized the need for a more official presence in the US. With SimScale in-product support, our engineers jump straight into our customers’ simulation projects and troubleshoot from within the SimScale platform in real-time. In order to provide our users with the best technical support possible, we need to be close to them which is why it made sense to have local Application and Support Engineers in the region.
Hiring, Growth, and Success
The engineering software world is a very small world indeed, yet we were committed to growing our team as quickly as possible. The first step to breaking into the US market involved identifying an engineer with expertise in simulation, who was willing to work remotely for a German start-up. Once we successfully onboarded our first US-based employee, we continued to expand the team. Building diverse teams is what really gives us an edge when it comes to success. We make a conscious effort to keep this in mind when hiring and try to avoid hiring people who remind us too much of ourselves especially when it comes to personality type, experience, or background. Having a mixture of different voices leads to different ideas and perspectives. Fast forward three years later and our North America team is the perfect blend of CAE industry veterans, engineers, and talented sales and marketing people from the SaaS world, plus a few budding graduates for good measure!
“Working as an SDR at SimScale has been the best way to learn the industry and products we offer. This opportunity has allowed me to build a strong foundation of knowledge and techniques that will help me succeed as an Account Executive. I am excited to continue to grow with this North American team! My favorite part of working at SimScale is the opportunity to learn about a prospect’s business and dreams, and offering them a solution to continue those dreams.“
— Parker Maples, Sales Development Representative
In the last 12 months, we have seen two of our SDRs promoted to Account Executives, especially as our customer base and customer awareness have grown. As a growing company, SimScale affords a lot more room for development opportunities and upwards mobility. This is something that is quite evident across the business in general, not just in North America. It’s not uncommon to see people move from one area of the company to another when their career aspirations change or when they discover a new interest.
Challenges Encountered
Brand awareness is a large component of success when it comes to breaking into the US market. “There are numerous simulation software solutions out there in the market today so it took a lot of effort to cut through the noise,” said North America Sales Director Tim George, who joined SimScale in 2021 and helped build out our US sales team. “In fact, CFD has been around for at least 50 years. But with SimScale we had a “fresh story” to tell, which is exciting. Many of the barriers associated with engineering software are often related to investment in expensive hardware i.e the reliance on super expensive high-performance computers to run simulations in the first place. With SimScale being a completely browser-based product we were able to offer something completely accessible and unique. In the beginning, it took a lot of “grunt work” to get the SimScale story out there. Employing highly experienced, well-known, and credible industry experts in the US really helped us spread that message. Eventually gaining more and more customers in the United States who could reference us and our solution really helped to get things in motion!”
As our US team continues to grow we want to continuously connect with talent from outside the simulation world, but who want to get behind an innovative product and company.
What Makes SimScale Attractive?
What we offer in terms of culture and work-life balance is a strong differentiator between us and some of the bigger players in the engineering software space. We’re a startup with a flat hierarchy, which means everyone benefits from less red tape and more action in a dynamic working environment. If you’re unsure about working remotely for a European company, it’s worth mentioning that despite the physical distance between the US team and their European counterparts, close collaboration is very much the norm. In a digital world, it’s far easier to connect remote teams, while at the same time emphasizing the importance of in-person team events with colleagues from around the globe!
If this blog has piqued your interest, you should explore our careers page and get in touch with us to tell us your story!
Also, stay tuned for more insights into SimScale and see what the team has been up to on our @lifeatsimscale Instagram feed. Want to start your own SimScale story? Make sure to keep an eye on our careers page for possible openings. We are currently looking for more US-based team members for our marketing team!
