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Dmitry Shubov Consulting Shares Expert Perspective on Why First U.S. Customer Readiness Matters More in Southeast Asia’s Tighter 2026 Funding Climate

FREMONT, Calif., June 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dmitry Shubov Consulting is sharing an expert perspective on why Southeast Asian startups need to carefully think about what happens after they land a first U.S. customer, especially in a year when funding remains harder to win, and growth is under closer scrutiny. The recent perspective comes as Q1 2026 reporting from DealStreetAsia pointed to a still-selective startup funding environment across Southeast Asia, adding pressure on founders to show not just early traction, but a business that can actually build on it.

For many startups, a long stretch of outreach goes into getting that first “yes.” When the contract is signed, founders naturally think the hardest part is over. It isn't. The very next morning, the workload just changes shape. You aren't pitching anymore. Instead, the startup is suddenly dealing with messy onboarding steps and client questions it did not fully anticipate.

“Landing a first U.S. customer is a real milestone, but it also has a way of showing founders what still is not working as well as they thought,” said Dmitry Shubov, Founder of Dmitry Shubov Consulting. “You can prove there is interest in the business and still realize the contracts, internal process, or delivery side are not ready to support growth in a consistent way.”

That shift is a lot tougher when venture funding is hard to come by. In a tighter market, startups often have less room to absorb operational mistakes while trying to build on early traction. If a startup struggles to deliver for its first big client, it can lose its hard-earned momentum before it even has a chance to look for the next deal.

This is especially true in enterprise fields like legal tech, AI, SaaS, and fintech. Buyers in these industries expect a professional, organized experience right from the start. Being persistent and flexible can get a founder through a single pilot program, but that doesn't mean the company has a repeatable system in place. If keeping the client happy still depends entirely on the founder jumping in to solve every single problem, that approach can become difficult to sustain when the next few clients sign up.

With this perspective on current complexities, Dmitry Shubov Consulting is focusing on a part of international expansion that people rarely talk about during the initial sales push. Getting that first U.S. customer is great, but what happens next says a lot more about the long-term strength of the business. For startups trying to expand into the West this year, the real challenge isn't just getting someone to say yes—it's having a business model steady enough to support that win. Partnering with a consulting firm can be the best first step. Reach out to Dmitry Shubov Consulting for more information.

About Dmitry Shubov Consulting

At Dmitry Shubov Consulting, our mission is to connect accredited investors with groundbreaking legal technology startups, fostering innovation and growth across Southeast Asia and helping Asian businesses enter the U.S. market. For more information, please visit our website or contact us directly.

Media Contact:

[email protected]


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9732289)

Into the Wild: GWM Brings the World's Best to the Gobi

BAODING, China, May 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — This May, the Taklimakan Rally will host a milestone: for the first time, four international rally champions — Pau Navarro of Spain, Nicolas Cavigliasso of Argentina, Gerard Farres of Spain, and Rebecca Busi of Italy — will line up alongside China's fastest desert racers on the same course. On May 14, GWM confirmed a twelve-driver, four-factory-team roster assembled through a personal recruitment campaign launched by Chairman Jack Wey in March.

Founded in 2005, the Taklimakan — Asia's premier off-road event, known as the “Eastern Dakar” — earned FIA Grade A status in 2014. It runs more than 3,400 kilometers across thirteen stages in terrain that has broken some of the world's best drivers. For years, the world's elite competed primarily in North Africa and Europe while China's own rally culture grew largely unseen. GWM is attempting to change that.

By May 9, the international quartet had arrived at GWM's Baoding headquarters for a face-to-face meeting with Chairman Jack Wey — a level of personal engagement unusual at the top of a major automaker. Speaking directly to the drivers, Jack Wey offered what read less as ceremony than as commitment: “Motorsport requires no language. We hope to build deep, long-term cooperation — and we wish you excellent results in China Rally.”

Nicolas Cavigliasso of Argentina arrives as the 2025 Dakar Challenger champion, a distinction that earned him an FIA Gold license — one of the sport's rarest honors. He will be navigated by Valentina Pertegarini. Spain's Pau Navarro, the 2026 Dakar Challenger champion, joins with navigator Jan Rosa. Gerard Farres, a veteran of the Dakar Rally, will be paired with navigator Bruno Jacomy. Italy's Rebecca Busi — one of the world's most recognizable female rally drivers, with nearly 120,000 Instagram followers — completes the quartet.

Ma Hailong and two additional Chinese drivers, Zhang Jianfeng and Yao Weiqiang, complete the lineup. Yao Weiqiang is the 2025 China Rally T2.E champion in a TANK 300 Hi4-T. All three competed at the 2025 Taklimakan Rally.

“2016, we went to Dakar,” Jack Wey told the assembled drivers at Baoding. “We finished sixth — the highest any Chinese team has ever achieved.” The remark of someone who has raced at that level himself — and who is now investing personally to close the gap.

GWM's entry is built entirely around production-basis vehicles. The TANK 700 Hi4-T leads the lineup with a 3.0T V6 powertrain and Hi4-T intelligent four-wheel drive. The TANK 500 Hi4-Z carries a dedicated all-wheel drive architecture with a 201km electric range, optimized for the most demanding desert stages. The TANK 300 Hi4-T — proven across thousands of competitive kilometers — continues to demonstrate that durability and performance do not have to trade off. Three V6 Fire Bullet 3.0T pickups complete the production category entry.

The rally begins May 16 from Urumqi, runs through the Flaming Mountains near Shanshan and the Kumtag Desert, cuts south to the edge of the Taklimakan at Korla, and finishes in Aksu sixteen days later. Thirteen stages. One event.

The world's best are not here to pass judgment on Chinese motorsport. They are here to discover, alongside Chinese racing, what the sport looks like when the full picture finally comes together.

That answer waits at the finish line.

Contact: [email protected]


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9725951)