In 2011 our founder landed in New York the way most European companies still arrive: no contacts, no network, and no real idea of how things worked here.

He still has the spreadsheet. 250 job applications, one row each.

That was the first lesson: perseverance. The US rewards those who keep showing up long after it would seem reasonable to stop. Every company we work with goes through its own version of that spreadsheet.

The second lesson came at a casual event. He met someone who was looking for a profile like his, and that conversation opened the door to his role at Banco Santander. In the US, the doors that matter often open in person, in rooms you almost did not walk into.

We are passionate sailors, from dinghies to cruising boats. It has shaped the way we understand the world around us. And sailing a boat and sailing a company have more in common than you would think.

The name Leebow comes from a tactical move in racing: the lee bow. A boat that is behind tacks into a precise position, just ahead and to leeward of the leader. From there, the leader sails in disturbed air, and the boat that was behind moves ahead.

It is not only about speed. Winning a race rests on three things.