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strategic_assessment

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GolfOkay: Strategic Assessment & Execution Framework

For: Investor & Tan From: Prospective CTO Date: October 2025

Executive Summary

The opportunity is real. Thailand attracts ~700,000 golf tourists annually spending ~฿100K/trip (3× average tourist, historical 2011 estimate). ~300 golf courses, fragmented booking (majority via agents), clear digital white space. Your assets provide credible entry: TAT-licensed entity operational, Tan’s working agency, Investor’s transport network.

Strategy: Direct package sales. Not building SaaS for competitors. Automate Tan’s operation, scale package volume, reach profitability fast. 300/month SaaS seat—the path to profitability is packages.

Terms proposed:

  • 35% equity CTO (4-year vest, 1-year cliff)
  • ฿330K signing bonus + ฿100K/month base + profit share (฿200K+/month from Month 3)
  • ฿100K/month base for Tan + profit share (฿200K+/month from Month 3)
  • ฿5M capital, 12-month runway
  • Team: ops manager ฿30K, dev ฿50K (both + equity)

90-day target: Process 20-30 packages, $15-17K revenue, validate unit economics.

To validate: Tan’s current traction (package volume, revenue, channels), confirmed partnerships vs prospective.

Part 1: Market Opportunity

Validated Data (2024-2025)

Market size:

  • 700K golf tourists annually (TAT, AGIF)
  • ~฿100K spend per trip (3× average tourist) - historical 2011 estimate
  • ~300 golf courses (150-200 international standard)

Distribution reality:

  • Majority of bookings via agents (phone/LINE/email)
  • Only a minority of courses have modern APIs
  • Fragmented, manual workflows dominate

Digital infrastructure:

  • PromptPay: 81M users, 0.8-1.5% fees vs 3%+ cards
  • Digital wallets: 22% of POS transactions
  • Visa expansion: 93 countries, 60-day stays

Competitor Weakness

Incumbents:

  • Club Thailand Card: 15K members, 200+ courses, legacy UX, no mobile app
  • Golfasian: 192K customers, email/phone only, no self-service
  • GolfNow: Global platform, weak local penetration
  • Major OTAs: List golf resorts but no dedicated tee-time vertical

Digital gaps:

  • No unified platform (booking + transport + accommodation)
  • No price transparency or dynamic pricing
  • No mobile-first UX
  • No AI automation (50-65% workflows automatable)

Your Assets

  • TAT-licensed entity: GolfOkay = Tan’s company, can sell packages immediately
  • Working agency: Tan’s live customer flow, operational knowledge
  • Transport network: Investor’s concierge business (immediate ancillary revenue)
  • Course relationships: Existing network to build on

Part 2: Strategy — Direct Package Sales

Not Building SaaS for Competitors

Economics comparison:

  • B2B SaaS approach: 300/month)
  • Direct sales: 800 margin)

Why direct sales:

  • 300/month SaaS seat
  • Revenue scales with package volume, not seat count
  • Path to profitability clear: 75 packages/month = $56-64K revenue
  • TAT license operational—can be seller-of-record immediately

Phase 1: Automate Tan’s Operation (Months 0-3)

Build internal tools (not products to sell):

  • LINE/WhatsApp → CRM capture
  • Quote builder with templates + price rules
  • Automated booking flow (aggregator APIs + manual desk)
  • E-voucher issuance
  • Payment links (PromptPay + cards)
  • Operations board (driver assignment, course confirmations)

Goal: Process 20-30 packages in 90 days with 50-65% workflow automation

Revenue: Direct package sales (~$1,000/package margin) + transport ancillaries

Phase 2: Scale Direct Sales (Months 3-9)

Increase package volume:

  • Sign 2 aggregator partnerships (200-500 courses inventory)
  • Direct course relationships (better rates via volume)
  • Consumer marketing (LINE bots, SEO, expat/tourist targeting)

Target: 50-100 packages/month by Month 9

Profitability: $50K-100K monthly revenue, 40-50% margins

Phase 3: Selective B2B (Months 9+, If Beneficial)

Only if it accelerates direct sales:

  • White-label tools for courses (free, for preferred inventory)
  • Hotel concierge portals (drive package volume, not SaaS revenue)
  • Agent partnerships where they bring qualified demand

Not building: SaaS products for competitors

Part 3: Unit Economics

Per package:

  • Average package value: ฿100K (~$3,000)
  • Commission (15%): ~$450
  • Transport margin: ~$200
  • Ancillaries: ~$100-200
  • Total margin: ~$750-850/package

Targets:

  • 90 days: 20 packages = $15-17K revenue
  • Month 9: 75 packages = $56-64K revenue (path to profitability)

Technology integration:

  • Aggregator APIs (immediate): Golfsavers, GolfThai (200-500 courses)
  • Direct course relationships (selective): better rates via volume
  • Manual desk: 50-55% courses still phone/LINE (accept reality)
  • AI automation: 50-65% workflows (FAQ 85%, simple bookings 65%)

Part 4: Capital Structure & Team

Total committed capital: ฿5M (~$150K USD) for 12-month runway

Equity Structure

  • CTO: 35% (4-year vest, 1-year cliff, early exercise allowed)
  • CEO (Tan): Equal or higher ownership
  • Investor: Remaining stake

Compensation

CTO:

  • ฿330K signing bonus (debt clearance, setup)
  • ฿100K/month base
  • Profit share reaching ฿200K+/month after Month 3 if metrics achieved

CEO (Tan):

  • ฿100K/month base
  • Profit share reaching ฿200K+/month after Month 3 if metrics achieved

Team hires:

  • Operations manager: ฿30K/month starting month 1 (+ equity)
  • Developer: ฿50K/month starting month 2 (+ equity)

Performance Milestones (Profit Share Triggers)

Month 3:

  • 15+ packages processed through automated system
  • Unit economics validated (฿20K+ avg margin/package)
  • 50%+ workflow automation achieved

Month 6:

  • 30+ packages/month sustained run rate
  • 2 aggregator partnerships signed and active
  • Team fully operational

Month 9:

  • 60+ packages/month run rate
  • Revenue covering ≥40% operating costs
  • Clear path to profitability documented

Burn Rate

  • Months 0-3: ฿390K/month ($11.7K) including signing bonus amortization
  • Months 4-12: ฿280-480K/month ($8-14K) depending on profit share achievement
  • 12-month runway with ฿5M commitment

Governance

  • CTO: Full autonomy over tech stack, product roadmap, vendor selection
  • CEO: Handles sales, partnerships, investor relations
  • Conflicts: 48hr discussion → investor decides if unresolved
  • Pivot: Major strategy changes require CTO agreement

Exit Terms

  • Either party: 60-day notice
  • Vested equity retained, unvested forfeited
  • Terminated without cause: 3 months severance + 25% unvested accelerated

Part 5: 90-Day Execution Plan

Weeks 1-2: Foundation

  • Sign 2 aggregator MOUs (immediate inventory)
  • Lock automation scope (LINE → quote → booking → ops)
  • Staff 0.5 FTE operations coordinator (manual desk)
  • Integrate PromptPay + card payment rails

Weeks 3-6: Build & Ship

  • Ship automated booking flow v0.1
  • Process first 5 packages through system
  • Validate unit economics, manual desk SLAs

Weeks 7-10: Scale

  • Process 10-15 packages
  • Hit automation targets (50-65% simple workflows)
  • Transport attach rate ≥40%

Weeks 11-13: Prove

  • Process 20-30 total packages
  • Revenue: $15K-17K from packages + transport
  • CSAT ≥4.6/5, <24hr quote SLA
  • Updated pricing study (replace 2012 baseline)

90-Day KPIs

  • Revenue: $15K-17K (package sales + ancillaries)
  • Volume: 20-30 packages processed
  • Automation: 50-65% workflows automated
  • Proof: Validated unit economics, profitable path visible

Part 6: Questions to Validate

Current Traction

  1. Tan’s actual monthly package volume and revenue?
  2. Customer acquisition channels (what’s working now)?
  3. Confirmed aggregator/course partnerships vs prospective?
  4. GolfOkay.co metrics (traffic, conversion, bookings)?

Revenue Model

  1. How does platform revenue integrate with Tan’s existing operations?
  2. Revenue attribution (which bookings flow through platform vs manual)?

Part 7: Recommendation

Opportunity: Real. 700K golf tourists, ฿100K/trip (historical est.), fragmented market, weak incumbents.

Strategy: Direct package sales. Automate Tan’s operation, scale volume, reach profitability fast. Not building SaaS for competitors—processing packages yourself.

Execution: Clear 90-day path. Automate workflows → process 20-30 packages → $15K-17K revenue → validate unit economics.

Terms: Defined above. 35% equity, ฿100K base + profit share (฿200K+/month from Month 3), ฿5M capital, 12-month runway.

To validate:

  • Tan’s current traction (actual metrics)
  • Confirmed partnerships (not prospective claims)
  • Revenue model clarity

The path to profitability is packages, not SaaS seats.

20 packages in 90 days = $15K-17K revenue 75 packages by Month 9 = path to profitability clear

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