Ten decisions, one hundred points. Every option is worth 10, 6 or 2: there is rarely an absurd answer, often an expensive one, and occasionally one that closes the market for good.
A fictional country, built from the fundamentals of an upper-middle-income South-East Asian economy.
| Political | Elective constitutional monarchy: nine sultanates take turns appointing the head of state. Parliamentary system built on unstable coalitions — three heads of government in four years. National preference policy requiring 30 % native Nadoran ownership to obtain certain distribution licences. NIDA investment agency: ten-year tax holiday inside the halal industrial parks. |
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| Economic | 36 million inhabitants, GDP per capita of 13,200 USD, growth of 4.3 %, inflation of 2.8 %. Currency: the rangit, managed float, down 11 % against the euro over eighteen months. Member of ASEN, a regional union of eight countries and 690 million people with no internal tariffs. Local lending rate: 6.5 %, subsidised inside the halal parks. |
| Sociocultural | A plural society: 68 % native Nadorans, 22 % Sino-Nadorans, 7 % Indo-Nadorans. 64 % of the population is Muslim. Three annual consumption peaks — Eid, Lunar New Year, Deepavali — which together account for 34 % of confectionery sales through gift hampers. The country has the highest diabetes rate in the region; the Ministry of Health promotes a « Healthier Choice » logo. Dominant taste profile: sweet, sour and salty at once, embodied by asam padu, a brined plum sold in 20 g sachets. |
| Technological | 89 % smartphone penetration. Two regional marketplaces account for 71 % of e-commerce, and live video selling generates a third of their food sales. 12,000 round-the-clock convenience stores deliver 46 % of snacking volume. Hypermarkets are in decline. |
| Environmental | Second-largest palm oil producer in the world: 1.4 million direct jobs. The government recalled its ambassador from Brussels after the European deforestation regulation was adopted. Rainy season: recurring floods in the coastal plains. Cross-border haze episodes in the dry season. |
| Legal | NAHAL halal certification: legally optional for a meat-free product, commercially unavoidable. Traceability required down to tier-two suppliers, with audits carried out on foreign sites. Bilateral EU–Nadora agreement recognising geographical indications. An active market in speculative trademark filings. Sugar-sweetened beverage tax in force for five years. |
| NutriMonde | A small company from Lot-et-Garonne, south-west France. Revenue of 48 million euros. Organic snacks made from Agen prunes under Protected Geographical Indication: coated bars, filled prunes, energy balls. Two mature export markets, Germany and Belgium. Nadora would be its first venture outside Europe. You are its international development director. |