Project Brief

Summary

Learner Role

Go-to-Market Analyst

Target Client

Suapan

Suapan is a bootstrapped food delivery startup founded by two ex-logistics operators in Jakarta, Indonesia. With a 12-person team and a single seed round, it is preparing to launch in a region where food delivery GMV reached $22.7 billion in 2025. The Southeast Asian market is a near-duopoly, with Grab holding roughly 55% regional share and around 50% in Indonesia. Average order values sit near $8, restaurant commissions run 20-30%, and daily regional orders total 8.5-9.5 million. Suapan cannot outspend incumbents and must prove per-order profitability inside one dense metro pocket before any expansion.

The Challenge

Current Issue

Suapan has $500,000 in seed capital and 90 days to launch in one Jakarta district or return the money to investors. The core problem is unit economics: with $8 average order values and 20-30% commissions, every subsidized delivery loses money, and first-year startups burn seed cash chasing customers who leave when discounts end. Grab already controls half of Indonesia's market. The founder wants a single district launch that reaches positive per-order economics, but the team disagrees on commission rate, subscription versus discounting, and whether to go halal-niche or horizontal. Without a defensible plan, Suapan will not launch.

The Assignment

Work Scope

You will analyze a market and budget data pack, then co-create and refine a launch plan that forces tradeoffs among commission rate, subsidy spend, geographic density, subscription pricing, and niche positioning within the seed constraints provided. Your plan feeds the founder's decision on whether Suapan launches and where. You'll receive the specific assignment, materials, and next steps in the task brief.

Key Stakeholders

Rani Wijaya

Founder and CEO, Suapan

Influence: High

Senior Leadership

Video Call

Task Email

Inbox

Rani WijayaJul 23

Your first assignment: our Jakarta launch plan needs a clear direction

Dear there, Welcome to Suapan. We have 90 days and $500,000 to launch in one Jakarta district and prove we can make money on every order, or we return the funds to investors. Grab already holds around half of Indonesia's market, so we cannot win by outspending anyone. I'd like you to build our launch plan. Work through the attached Market & Budget Data Pack, which covers our district options, unit economics at an $8 average order, and where the team currently disagrees on commission, subscription versus discounts, and positioning. Pay close attention to how each choice affects per-order profitability. My one priority is reaching positive per-order economics before we expand. Give me a plan I can stand behind with confidence. Regards, Rani Founder and CEO Suapan

Your first assignment: our Jakarta launch plan needs a clear direction

Task Email

Rani Wijaya<rani.wijaya@suapan.com>Jul 23, 2026, 11:47 AM

To: me

Dear there,

Welcome to Suapan. We have 90 days and $500,000 to launch in one Jakarta district and prove we can make money on every order, or we return the funds to investors. Grab already holds around half of Indonesia's market, so we cannot win by outspending anyone.

I'd like you to build our launch plan. Work through the attached Market & Budget Data Pack, which covers our district options, unit economics at an $8 average order, and where the team currently disagrees on commission, subscription versus discounts, and positioning. Pay close attention to how each choice affects per-order profitability.

My one priority is reaching positive per-order economics before we expand. Give me a plan I can stand behind with confidence.

Regards,

Rani
Founder and CEO
Suapan

1 Attachment

Suapan Market & Budget Data Pack.pdf

PDF

Resources & Files

Suapan Market & Budget Data Pack

Prepared for: Go-to-Market Analyst
Prepared by: Rani Wijaya, Founder and CEO, Suapan (rani.wijaya@suapan.com)
Company: Suapan — Food Delivery Technology, Jakarta, Indonesia
Status: as of 20 July 2026
Planned launch window: Q4 2026, within 90 days of plan sign-off
Classification: Confidential — Internal Use Only. Do not distribute outside Suapan.

1. Founder Framing Note

A quick note before you dig in. Suapan is a bootstrapped food delivery startup founded by two ex-logistics operators, and this pack pulls together everything the team has gathered so you can build the launch plan.

My priority is simple and it is the lens I want you to use throughout. Rani Wijaya's stated priority: reach positive per-order economics within 90 days before any expansion. I would rather launch small and prove the math than chase volume we cannot sustain.

Three constraints are fixed and non-negotiable:

Seed capital available: $500,000
Launch window: 90 days — we launch in one Jakarta district within this window or we return the capital to investors.
Team size: 12 people total to plan, launch, and operate.

The data below is deliberately presented as raw inputs. The decisions — district, positioning, commission rate, acquisition model, and how the budget is split — are yours to work through and bring back to me.

2. Market Context

Southeast Asia's food delivery market is large, still growing, and heavily concentrated.

Regional GMV (2025): $22.7 billion
Market growth: 18% year-on-year (2024 to 2025)
Daily order volume (region): 8.5-9.5 million orders per day
Grab regional market share: approximately 55%
Grab Indonesia market share: approximately 50%
Indonesia average order value: $8
Restaurant commission (industry standard): 20-30%

The competitive field is crowded. Active Indonesia competitors include GoFood (Gojek), ShopeeFood, and Foodpanda alongside GrabFood. Growth across the region has been driven more by order frequency and a broader user base than by larger baskets — average order values remain modest, which is exactly what makes the per-order math tight for a new entrant.

3. Jakarta District Comparison

Three candidate districts were profiled. Figures are presented side by side; no district is ranked or recommended here.

Metric	Kebayoran Baru (South Jakarta)	Menteng (Central Jakarta)	Kebon Jeruk (West Jakarta)
Restaurant count	4,200	3,100	2,400
Incumbent delivery penetration	78%	71%	54%
Halal-certified restaurant share	68%	74%	83%
Addressable daily orders	approximately 9,000 orders/day	approximately 6,500 orders/day	approximately 5,000 orders/day
Median household income	Rp 18,000,000/month (approximately $1,100)	Rp 15,000,000/month (approximately $920)	Rp 11,000,000/month (approximately $675)

4. Unit-Economics Reference (at $8 average order value)

These are the raw per-order and acquisition inputs collected from market observation and comparable operators. They are inputs only.

Delivery cost: $2.20 per delivery (driver payout plus logistics)
Consumer delivery fee: $1.00-$1.50 per order
Commission revenue per order: $1.60 at 20% to $2.40 at 30% on an $8 order
Average promo discount: $2.50 per subsidized order
Discount-cohort churn: approximately 60% of discount-acquired customers churn when promotions end
Subscription fee benchmark: $3.50/month
Subscriber behavior: subscribers order approximately 2x more often than non-subscribers
Subscription precedent: DoorDash DashPass surpassed 15 million members
CAC (discount model): approximately $7 per customer (discount-led)
CAC (subscription model): approximately $4 per subscriber (subscription-led)
Low-commission precedent: 2% commission (Beep Delivery, Malaysia low-commission precedent)

5. 90-Day Launch Cost Inputs

Operational cost inputs and density benchmarks for a single-district launch.

Restaurant onboarding cost: $120 per restaurant (photography, menu setup, account)
Driver recruitment cost: $45 per driver onboarded
Monthly district operations base: approximately $18,000/month district operations base
Restaurant density target: 150-200 restaurants for viable density
Driver count target: 120-160 active drivers
Cash reserve norm: seed-stage startups typically hold a 15-20% cash reserve

6. Open Team Debates

Three questions remain unresolved inside the team. Your recommendation needs to settle each one; this pack does not take a side.

Commission rate. Team is split: operations favors a 20% commission to sign restaurants quickly; finance favors 30% to protect per-order margin.

Acquisition model. Team is split: a subscription plan for retention versus discount promotions for fast early volume.

Positioning. Team is split: halal-only differentiation versus horizontal all-cuisine coverage. For context on that debate: Indonesia's population is approximately 87% Muslim; verified-halal trust functions more as a differentiator than as exclusivity.

Work these through against the constraints and the per-order economics, and bring me a single, defensible plan.

Confidential — Suapan internal planning material. Prepared for the Go-to-Market Analyst as of 20 July 2026. Not for external distribution.

Chat Defense

Sample only

Rani Wijaya

Founder and CEO, Suapan

Hey, I skimmed your submission; why did you feel this approach was the right fit for Suapan?

10:30 AM

I focused on what would be most practical for Suapan right now, especially the parts that connect the recommendation back to the current challenge.

10:32 AM

That makes sense; what tradeoff did you consider before choosing that direction for Suapan?

10:33 AM

I weighed the impact against how quickly the team could act on it, then prioritized the option that felt clearest to implement.

10:35 AM

Type a message...

Written Task

Activity Instructions

Recommend district, positioning, pricing, and budget for Rani, justified against the Suapan market data pack.

Suapan Launch Plan

2026

Suapan Launch Plan

Type your answer here...

Grading Rationale

Sample only

Competency

Evaluate how clearly and accurately the student identifies and supports the 3 key drivers of Harbor Roasters' Café Group's profit decline, based on internal and external factors described in the scenario.

AI Grading and Rationale

This submission was rated 2 because the student identifies some relevant drivers but does not clearly distinguish internal from external factors or provide sufficient supporting evidence from the scenario. The response mentions labor costs, QuickCup competition, and reduced foot traffic, which are valid drivers, but the causal logic connecting these factors to the 22% profit decline is not explicitly developed. For instance, the student does not link the 14% transaction decline (350 to 300 daily) or the 15% coffee bean cost increase to specific profit margin compression. A stronger response would name exactly three drivers, label them as internal or external, and cite scenario data points to substantiate each claim with precision.

Soft Skills

How effectively does this submission analyze the given questions and provide a thoughtful response?

AI Grading and Rationale

This submission was rated 2 because it shows some attempt at analyzing Harbor Roasters' profitability challenges but lacks depth and coherent structure. The student identifies relevant issues like labor costs, competitive pressure from QuickCup, foot traffic decline, and variable cost increases, demonstrating basic awareness of the case factors. However, the analysis is superficial and disorganized—jumping between topics without clear logical flow or systematic examination. The response fails to provide thoughtful integration of the scenario data (such as the specific 15% coffee bean cost increase, 14% transaction decline from 350 to 300, or customer satisfaction drop from 4.8 to 4.2). Stronger responses would demonstrate critical thinking by systematically connecting internal operational issues with external market pressures, using specific data points to build a coherent argument about root causes and their interrelationships rather than listing factors in a fragmented manner.

Sample Feedback

Sample only

Suapan Launch Plan

2026

Suapan Launch Plan

I would prioritize the approach that best serves Suapan and can be defended to its stakeholders. My rationale connects the choice back to the current issue rather than treating it as a generic preference.

The recommendation is grounded in the specific evidence from the scenario, weighing the competing interests before landing on a position.

I acknowledge the main trade-off this approach accepts, and outline a clear first step so the plan is actionable.

Rani Wijaya

Today at 2:30 PM

Good opening. Make the connection to Suapan's current issue sharper so the reader immediately sees why this answer matters.

Student Report

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After a learner completes International Business: Launching Suapan on a Shoestring, Cartedo generates a full report scoring each of the 10 assessment dimensions with evidence-based rationale. Run the simulation to see your own report.

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AI Model Submission

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AI model submission

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International Business: Launching Suapan on a Shoestring

Suapan

Learner journey

Key moments

How assessment works

Go-to-Market Analyst

Suapan

Current Issue

Work Scope

Your first assignment: our Jakarta launch plan needs a clear direction

Suapan Market & Budget Data Pack

1. Founder Framing Note

2. Market Context

3. Jakarta District Comparison

4. Unit-Economics Reference (at $8 average order value)

5. 90-Day Launch Cost Inputs

6. Open Team Debates

Suapan Launch Plan

Suapan Launch Plan