International GTM Readiness Scorecard

Most international market entry decisions are made on ambition rather than structured readiness assessment. This scorecard examines the five dimensions that most reliably predict success or failure — and identifies what to fix before the investment is committed.

Product

Does the product solve a problem that exists in the target market in the same form as the home market?

Has the product been used by at least one customer in the target market or a comparable international context?

Are product localisation requirements — language, compliance, integrations — addressed or funded?

Positioning

Has the ICP been defined for the target market using primary research — not adapted from home-market data?

Does the positioning reflect the competitive landscape of the target market specifically?

Have the trust signals and reference points required by buyers in the target market been identified?

Commercial

Is there a named person accountable for the market entry commercially, with board visibility?

Has a channel strategy been defined with specific hypotheses for each channel selected?

Have partner organisations or potential reference customers in the target market been identified?

Operational

Is there budget committed for at least 12 months of market entry activity — not just the initial sprint?

Is there a CRM configuration and attribution model in place to measure results in the new market?

Is there a legal and compliance structure in place or planned for commercial operations in the target geography?

Financial

Is the cost of customer acquisition in the target market modelled on realistic benchmarks — not home-market costs?

Is there a committed 12-24 month investment timeline with board and investor alignment?

Is there a defined trigger for evaluating whether the entry is proceeding on plan at the 90-day mark?

Score interpretation — one point per genuine yes

13 – 15

Ready to launch

Conditions are substantially in place. Begin with a structured 90-day activation plan.

9 – 12

Address gaps first

Specific gaps exist in one or two dimensions. Address red-rated areas before committing activation budget.

5 – 8

Significant gaps

A market entry at this readiness level requires substantially more time and budget than a well-prepared one.

0 – 4

Not ready

The foundational gaps mean market investment is likely to produce losses. Prepare the conditions before committing.

Score honestly. A question you cannot answer with documented evidence is a no, not a maybe.