Appendix A. Master Market Entry Checklist

Phase 0: Set the thesis and guardrails

• ☐ Strategic intent: growth/diversification/cost/talent/resilience prioritized and written in one paragraph.
  
  
• ☐ Entry thesis: country “where-to-play/how-to-win” stated in 5–7 lines (segment, use case, wedge, mode, advantage).
  
  
• ☐ Success metrics: 12–24 month outcomes (revenue, contribution, cash, references, compliance) defined with targets and owners.
  
  
• ☐ Non-negotiables: explicit “will not do” list (segments, channels, intermediaries, pricing behaviors, data posture).
  
  
• ☐ Stop-loss criteria: objective triggers + pre-approved responses documented.
  
  

Phase 1: Country long-list to short-list

• ☐ Long list: included markets + exclusion logic documented (no silent exclusions).
  
  
• ☐ Scorecard: attractiveness × fit × feasibility scored with confidence ratings and clear weights.
  
  
• ☐ Triangulation: at least three sources per key criterion or a stated proxy plan.
  
  
• ☐ Decision workshop: short-list chosen with recorded rationale, minority views, and revisit triggers.
  
  

Phase 2: Market sizing and demand logic

• ☐ Market definition: boundaries, substitutes, and segmentation rules agreed and documented.
  
  
• ☐ TAM/SAM/SOM: top-down and bottom-up triangulated; deltas explained; red flags addressed.
  
  
• ☐ Growth drivers: macro/category/customer shifts linked to beachhead use case and buying triggers.
  
  
• ☐ Sensitivities: “must be true” assumptions highlighted with confidence levels and validation actions.
  
  

Phase 3: Customer, channel, pricing validation

• ☐ Beachhead: target segment + use case + buyer roles validated with primary conversations.
  
  
• ☐ Journey barriers: adoption blockers and proof artifacts needed to clear them documented.
  
  
• ☐ Channel economics: margin, working capital, and data visibility requirements validated.
  
  
• ☐ Price corridor: list/target/floor net price defined; discount give-get rules set.
  
  
• ☐ Early tests: pilots/smoke tests completed; conversion gates measured; learnings codified into playbook.
  
  

Phase 4: Competition and response

• ☐ Competitor map: incumbents, insurgents, substitutes, informal competition mapped.
  
  
• ☐ Benchmarking: product/price/service/distribution/unit economics compared using the same unit definitions.
  
  
• ☐ Response plan: likely competitive moves + counter-moves defined.
  
  
• ☐ Differentiation: 2–3 credible “win pillars” stated with supporting proof and delivery commitments.
  
  

Phase 5: Legal, regulatory, tax, and compliance readiness

• ☐ Operating envelope: what you can do on day 1 vs later (by activity, customer type, entity).
  
  
• ☐ Licenses/approvals: gating items, timelines (fast/typical/conservative), owners, renewal cadence.
  
  
• ☐ Entity + banking: seller of record chosen; tax registration, payment rails, signatory authority planned.
  
  
• ☐ Data posture: transfers/residency/privacy artifacts; security evidence pack ready.
  
  
• ☐ Compliance-by-design: third-party diligence, sanctions screening, discount/credit controls embedded.
  
  

Phase 6: Entry mode and operating model

• ☐ Entry mode selected: build/partner/buy/franchise/JV with explicit trade-offs.
  
  
• ☐ Partner/JV terms: data rights, audit rights, pricing authority, conflict rules, termination/transition agreed.
  
  
• ☐ Deal-to-operate: integration/non-integration plan written with day-one ownership + timelines.
  
  
• ☐ Footprint: local vs HQ vs shared services design defined.
  
  
• ☐ Vendors: critical vendors selected; contracts include measurable SLAs and exit terms.
  
  

Phase 7: GTM + operations launch

• ☐ Portfolio: beachhead offer locked; localization backlog + governance in place (freeze rules defined).
  
  
• ☐ Sales model: roles, quotas, productivity assumptions, CRM stages, deal desk live (with turnaround targets).
  
  
• ☐ Marketing: local positioning, proof assets, content cadence, lead routing tested end-to-end.
  
  
• ☐ Order-to-cash: contracts, invoicing, collections, dispute handling rehearsed; mock close completed.
  
  
• ☐ Delivery: onboarding/runbooks, SLAs, vendor alignment, escalation paths tested with “bad day” simulation.
  
  

Phase 8: Scale management

• ☐ KPI tree: leading indicators + guardrails defined; dashboard owner named; definitions published.
  
  
• ☐ Cadence: weekly operating review + monthly business review running with decision logs + action tracking.
  
  
• ☐ Scale gates: “earned right to scale” criteria for new cities/channels/products agreed and funded.
  
  
• ☐ Exit/pivot plan: orderly shutdown + pivot options documented (customers, people, data, statutory tail).
  
  

Evidence standards: quick checks

• Transactability: you can issue a compliant invoice and receive payment through the standard path.
  
  
• Deliverability: you can onboard/support first customers without undocumented heroics.
  
  
• Governability: you can enforce corridors + third-party controls without slowing cycle time.