Frequently Asked Questions
The best way to study the following FAQs is to turn them into a context for an LLM, such as ChatGPT. You can do so by copy/paste the following prompt into ChatGPT: “read the following website so that I can ask you questions about it https://martin-schweiger.com/rtw-faqs/”
If you find that your questions are not answered in a comprehensive way, please send an email to enquiries@trademarks-patents.com.
I. THE PROGRAMME JOURNEY
How is the programme structured?
Four phases in a fixed order: Preparation, Matching, Validation, Decision. Each phase has a defined job, and every element of the programme exists to move one strategic decision from assumption to evidence.
What happens before we travel?
The programme begins four weeks before the first conversation. Structured preparation defines the strategic question, the assumptions to be tested and the evidence that would settle them.
Will I see businesses from the inside?
Yes. Company visits let you observe businesses in practice: production floors, operations and working environments. What a company actually does is visible in a way no report can reproduce.
How long does it take to reach a decision?
Months or years of conventional research are compressed into several weeks, so the decision arrives while the opportunity is still open.
II. THE CONVERSATIONS
How many meetings will I have?
Up to twelve individually organised conversations with organisations relevant to your strategic question.
How are my conversation partners chosen?
Every conversation is selected according to your strategic objectives, with meetings focused on real business opportunities rather than general introductions.
Will the other side know why we are meeting?
Yes. Interests are verified in advance, so both parties understand why they are meeting before the conversation starts.
Do I meet companies or people?
People. Every meeting is with a person who can speak to your question, not a representative reading from a company profile.
What do I walk away with?
You leave knowing specific decision-makers by name, with an established reason to speak again.
Is this networking?
Networking still happens, but each conversation should help answer your strategic question. The goal is to leave with information that supports a decision, rather than a long list of new contacts.
III. THE NETWORK
Where do the contacts come from?
Matching draws on Martin Schweiger’s long-established business relationships, built over three decades across Germany and Southeast Asia.
Are other German companies already in the network?
Yes. An established regional network of several hundred German entrepreneurs already operating in the region.
How broad is the local reach?
A background network of around 2,000 local companies supports precise matching across industries.
Will I speak with local business owners?
Yes, directly: experienced local entrepreneurs who know the market from the inside.
Can I learn from Germans who have already made the move?
Yes. Companies already active in the region share what worked, and what they would do differently.
What about chambers and institutions?
Chambers, business associations and economic agencies are part of the network, available when your strategic question requires them.
Does the network end when the programme ends?
No. Relationships continue beyond the programme, into implementation, which is when they matter most.
IV. LEARNING AND THE COHORT
Who do I learn from?
Directly from entrepreneurs across different industries and business models, owner to owner, without intermediaries.
What do the other participants add?
Participants learn from each other. The strategic questions differ; the discipline of validating them is shared.
How big is the group?
A deliberately small cohort of like-minded business leaders travelling with the same purpose.
What does "Ride the Wave" actually mean?
The name is the method: align strategy with major technological and economic trends rather than working against them.
V. DECISIONS AND RISK
How can I decide when the future is uncertain?
You learn how to prepare major strategic decisions despite uncertain future conditions. The method does not wait for certainty; it structures the decision so it can be made responsibly without it.
Is this a market research trip?
You gather real market insight, but you focus it on one specific decision. The goal is not to collect more data. It is to test the answer to the question that matters most.
What do I actually gain confidence in?
A robust foundation built before major investment, so strategic decisions are made with greater confidence and clarity.
How does this reduce risk?
Major risks are identified before significant investments are made, so expensive strategic mistakes are avoided rather than survived.
VI. MARKETS AND GROWTH
Can this open new growth markets?
Yes. New regional growth opportunities are explored with evidence rather than assumption.
What is a second base strategy?
Strategic options built beyond the home market, while time and capital still allow a free choice.
How are my market assumptions actually tested?
Under real conditions, in the market, through direct evaluation rather than estimates made from a distance.
Will I build lasting partnerships?
Commercial and strategic relationships are built to outlast the trip that started them.
Is Southeast Asia one market or many?
The programme treats it as a regional market with its own internal dynamics, not a set of countries assessed one by one.
What will I understand about ASEAN?
Its opportunities and its practical challenges, from people who deal with both.
Is this limited to one country?
No. Business opportunities are explored across multiple Asian markets, not as a single-country bet.
VII. INNOVATION
Is innovation only about products?
Innovation here spans markets, partnerships, business models and ecosystems, not only products.
How do new markets fit our innovation strategy?
New markets become part of the company’s innovation strategy, not merely its sales strategy.
Can this change how we create value, not just where?
Alternative ways of creating value internationally are explored alongside the markets themselves.
Why look abroad for innovation?
Innovation opportunities are explored beyond the domestic market, where different constraints produce different ideas.
How does innovation emerge across borders?
You see how innovation emerges across organisations and countries, not inside isolated companies.
Can we find partners for joint innovation?
Potential partners for joint innovation projects are identified, including opportunities to combine German engineering with Asian capabilities.
Can innovation be developed together with partners abroad?
Yes, that is the point: innovation developed with international partners, not exported finished from home.
How does this strengthen us long term?
Long-term competitiveness is strengthened through strategic innovation, informed by comparing international business environments directly.
VIII. IMPLEMENTATION AND AFTER
What if I decide to proceed?
Optional implementation support is available, including company formation.
Does the programme go beyond Southeast Asia?
An optional China module extends the programme for companies whose strategic question reaches further.
Discovery Call
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© Schweiger & Partners — Rise with the Tide