Whereas previous research concentrated on articulating what global strategies look like in large multinational companies with decades of experience in operations abroad, The Leap to Globalization focuses on how globalizing is realized over time in companies that start from a narrow geographic base. Three characteristics differentiate globalizing as observed in current practice from simple international expansion. First, globalization implies a redefinition of customer value; second, globalizing is an entrepreneurial process that transforms the company; and third, speed plays an essential role in globalization.