Who Really Buys? DMU Discovery and Market Entry Strategy in B2B Geospatial Services

Abstract

This study examines how a geospatial survey startup in Indonesia discovered and corrected a pre-entry buyer assumption. In-depth interviews with eight participants, two internal company representatives and six from three candidate markets, were analyzed through the Gioia methodology. The research finds that architects are structurally excluded from geospatial survey purchasing decisions in design-and-build construction projects. Purchasing authority sits with civil engineers and technical contractors who control earthwork planning and cost decisions. Thematic analysis produced six aggregate dimensions: demand, adoption barriers, decision making unit, vendor selection criteria, vendor retention drivers, and service expectations. Correcting the assumption reshaped the strategy on three fronts: the product shifted from a topographic map to an engineering-ready deliverable combining three-dimensional terrain, cut-and-fill analysis, and infrastructure mapping; the go-to-market route moved from architect outreach to referral-based sales through technical buyer networks; and the construction market was selected as the primary entry target. These findings contribute to the B2B marketing literature by illustrating buyer assumption error as a distinct risk in market entry strategy, and demonstrate the value of Gioia methodology for surfacing role structures that challenge researcher assumptions