Management Consulting · 12 min

Develop a market entry strategy for a European fintech expanding into Southeast Asia

Archetype: Planner Tier 3

Context

A Series B European fintech is considering expansion into Southeast Asia. The board requires a rigorous, data-driven market entry recommendation within Q3. The strategy consultant must deliver an analysis that balances regulatory complexity, competitive dynamics, and resource constraints across multiple jurisdictions.

Before (Unstructured)

"Write a market entry strategy for a fintech company going to Southeast Asia."

What is missing

× No role framing — unclear who is writing or for whom
× No success criteria — what makes a 'good' strategy undefined
× No domain methodology — no analytical frameworks specified
× No constraints — budget, timeline, market scope all missing
× No evaluation criteria — no way to assess output quality

After (MOTIVE-Structured)

[M] Motivation

As a strategy consultant advising a Series B fintech, I need a market entry analysis because the board requires a data-driven recommendation by Q3.

[O] Object

Deliver a 15-page strategic brief with executive summary, market sizing, competitive landscape, regulatory analysis, and phased go-to-market roadmap. Success criteria: (1) Quantified market opportunity per country, (2) Regulatory risk rated by severity, (3) Actionable 12-month implementation timeline.

[T] Tool

Use Porter's Five Forces for competitive analysis and PESTLE framework for macro-environment assessment. Reference McKinsey Global Institute data on SE Asian fintech adoption rates.

[I] Instruction

1. Analyze the top 3 SE Asian markets by fintech readiness. 2. Map regulatory requirements per jurisdiction. 3. Identify partnership and licensing opportunities. 4. Propose a 12-month phased entry plan with milestones. If regulatory data is unavailable, flag as assumption.

[V] Variables

Audience: Board of Directors. Tone: Executive-level, evidence-based. Markets: Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam. Budget: EUR 2M seed. Format: Strategic brief with appendices. Exclude: Crypto/DeFi, consumer lending.

[E] Evaluation

Evaluate against: (1) Strategic coherence 1-5, (2) Data quality and sourcing 1-5, (3) Actionability of recommendations 1-5, (4) Risk coverage completeness 1-5. If any criterion scores below 3.5, revise the weakest component first.

Output Comparison

Before Output

Show full output

Southeast Asia presents opportunities for fintech companies. The region has a growing middle class and increasing smartphone penetration. You could consider entering markets like Indonesia or Vietnam. There are some regulatory challenges to consider. The fintech market in the region is growing. Several companies have already entered these markets with varying degrees of success. Mobile payments are popular and digital banking is on the rise. You should research local regulations and find good partners. It would be helpful to understand the competitive landscape. Consider starting with one market before expanding to others. Overall, Southeast Asia is a promising region for fintech expansion. With the right approach and some planning, there are good opportunities available.

After Output

Indonesia ranks highest on our fintech readiness index (score: 8.2/10) driven by 78% smartphone penetration and OJK's regulatory sandbox program. Recommended entry: Q1 via e-money license partnership with Bank Mandiri. Estimated time-to-market: 6 months. Regulatory risk: Medium (3/5) — pending OJK Regulation 12/2024 on cross-border payment services.

Show full output

**Executive Summary** This strategic brief presents a data-driven market entry recommendation for three Southeast Asian markets: Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam. Our analysis identifies Indonesia as the priority entry market based on a composite fintech readiness index incorporating regulatory environment, digital infrastructure, and market opportunity. **1. Market Readiness Assessment** Indonesia ranks highest on our fintech readiness index (score: 8.2/10) driven by 78% smartphone penetration and OJK's regulatory sandbox program. The Philippines scores 7.1/10 with strong remittance-driven demand but fragmented regulatory oversight across BSP and SEC. Vietnam scores 6.8/10 with rapid digital adoption but restrictive foreign ownership caps at 49% for financial services. **2. Competitive Landscape (Porter's Five Forces)** Threat of new entrants: HIGH — 47 new fintech licenses issued across the three markets in 2024. Bargaining power of suppliers: MEDIUM — banking infrastructure partnerships remain concentrated among 3-5 major banks per country. Competitive rivalry: HIGH in payments (GoPay, GCash, MoMo dominate) but MODERATE in B2B financial services. **3. Recommended Phased Entry Plan** Phase 1 (Months 1-6): Indonesia entry via e-money license partnership with Bank Mandiri. Estimated time-to-market: 6 months. Regulatory risk: Medium (3/5). Phase 2 (Months 7-12): Philippines expansion via BSP virtual bank license application. Phase 3 (Month 12+): Vietnam assessment pending revised Decree 101 implementation. **4. Budget Allocation** Of the EUR 2M seed budget: 45% ($900K) allocated to Indonesia market entry, 30% ($600K) reserved for Philippines licensing, 15% ($300K) for regional compliance infrastructure, 10% ($200K) contingency.

Evaluation Scores

Average Before

1.5/5

Average After

4.8/5

Improvement

+217%

Before MOTIVE (1-5)

After MOTIVE (1-5)

Key Improvement

The Motivation component produced the largest quality impact by establishing the consultant role, board-level accountability, and Q3 deadline — transforming a generic request into a contextually anchored, auditable deliverable.

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