Inside Partnering

For partner leaders, one of the hardest questions isn’t identifying your best-performing partners. Most organizations already know who they are.The harder question is: Who should you invest in next?That question sits at the center of my conversation with Kenneth Fox, CTO and founder of ChannelScaler. Kenneth has spent his career in channels and partnerships, and his perspective combines the technology side of partner management with the practical realities of running partner programs.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.We talked about AI, co-selling, technology alliances, partner journeys, measurement, and why human relationships remain essential even as more of the partner experience becomes automated.One idea came through repeatedly: technology is most valuable when it helps partner teams focus their limited resources on the activities and relationships most likely to produce results.The Channel Has Become a Complex EcosystemTraditional partner program fundamentals aren’t going away. Kenneth still sees incentives, marketing, tiering, rebates, deal registration, portals, and content management as table stakes.What has changed is the environment around them.Partner ecosystems now involve many different types of partners and increasingly complex sales motions. A single enterprise opportunity might involve a vendor, a reseller, a services partner, and potentially others.That makes co-selling much more than simply sharing an opportunity.“The channel has become a very complex ecosystem of partners.”Kenneth described the challenge of coordinating multi-partner deals where each participant may be operating from a different CRM and even using different names for the same end customer.The critical questions become remarkably operational: Who owns which part of the deal? What’s the next step? Who owns that step? When is it due? And what can the vendor do to move the opportunity forward?For partner leaders, that level of visibility becomes increasingly important as ecosystems expand.AI Should Make Partnering EasierKenneth divides ChannelScaler’s application of AI into three broad areas: reducing friction and improving ease of doing business, removing operational obstacles through automation, and generating better insights.The first two can address some very practical problems.An AI agent can help determine whether a deal being registered may already exist. It can surface relevant content during deal registration. It can automate elements of MDF claims and flag transactions that require human review.The objective isn’t simply to add AI to a partner platform. It’s to remove work.Kenneth sees that eventually changing the partner experience itself.“It will become an agentic-led experience for partners and vendors.”Instead of requiring partners to navigate through a portal looking for what matters, an agent can potentially surface what needs attention: an open deal, an expiring fund request, a rebate claim, or a certification required to maintain status.That connects directly to one of Kenneth’s core principles:“Ease of doing business is the single biggest pain point in the channel.”And his conclusion is equally direct:“If you are the vendor that is easiest to work with, you will be the vendor that wins.”Build What Differentiates You - Partner for the RestAs CTO, Kenneth also has to make a decision familiar to many technology companies: What should we build ourselves, and where should we partner?His framework starts with knowing what the company is actually good at.“We know what we’re good at, and we stick to, you know, our lane.”ChannelScaler uses technology alliance partners where capabilities fall outside that lane. Kenneth cited XTRM for payments, Structured for TCMA, and PartnerTap for identifying ecosystem whitespace. The goal is to integrate complementary capabilities rather than recreate technology that another company already does well.In other cases, such as co-sell functionality, Kenneth believes the capability sits directly within ChannelScaler’s core area of expertise, making internal development the faster route.There isn’t one universal build-versus-partner rule.Each capability has to be evaluated on its own merits.Find the Next 10 PartnersPerhaps the most interesting application of AI in our conversation was partner prioritization.Most channel leaders can identify the partners generating the majority of their revenue. Kenneth argues that AI can help answer a more valuable forward-looking question: Who are the next 10, 20, or 30 partners worth investing in?ChannelScaler looks across attributes including revenue, deal volume and value, certifications, participation in programs, end customers, geographies, training, and other signals.“I look at the attribution of my best partner or my best 100 partners, and now I can use AI to scrub that against the next thousand to figure out actually who’s the next best 10 I should focus on.”Once those partners are identified, Kenneth recommends putting them on a targeted partner journey.And importantly, a journey isn’t synonymous with onboarding.It might be designed for a brand-new partner, a mature strategic partner, or a group of high-potential partners. One example Kenneth described was a revenue journey where the vendor and partner establish specific growth objectives, net-new-logo targets, leads, marketing investments, and next steps.That’s a fundamentally different approach from giving every partner essentially the same program experience.Measure Engagement, Not Just EnrollmentKenneth also challenges one of the most common partner-program vanity metrics: total partner count.“You have 500 partners. Well, guess what? You don’t really have 500 partners.”If only 110 of those partners have actually engaged, the other 390 shouldn’t automatically be treated as productive members of the ecosystem.Measurement should instead reveal what partners are doing, how programs are performing, where processes are slowing down, and which behaviors correlate with success.Kenneth’s principle is simple:“You can only manage what you measure.”The bigger opportunity is to connect measurement to action. Identify the attributes of successful partners. Find other partners with similar potential. Put them on a deliberate journey. Track the commitments on both sides. Then continuously adjust.AI Doesn’t Replace the RelationshipFor all the discussion about AI and automation, Kenneth was unequivocal about what technology doesn’t replace.“It’s not a human relationship. And certainly when you move into the enterprise and you’re doing big deals... people buy off people.”That may be the most important distinction for partner leaders.The opportunity isn’t to automate partnering.It’s to automate enough of the administrative burden, analysis, and process friction that partner professionals can spend more of their time doing what technology still can’t do for them: building the relationships that move the business forward.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 130+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

At Sage FUTURE in San Francisco, I sat down with Dan Miller, EVP of Financials and ERP at Sage, to talk about how Sage is thinking about AI, ecosystem partnerships, and the future of ERP platforms.One of the clearest themes from the conversation was this: finance leaders are not resisting AI. They simply want transparency, accountability, and confidence in the outputs.For partner leaders, ISVs, and ecosystem builders, that creates a very different opportunity than the generic “AI transformation” messaging dominating the market right now.Dan framed it around trust.“What finance and operations professionals really want is confidence in the tools that they’re deploying are doing exactly what they are expected to do.”That requirement shapes how Sage is building both its AI capabilities and its broader partner ecosystem.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.AI Adoption in Finance Requires TransparencyDan pushed back on the idea that finance organizations are inherently resistant to innovation.Instead, he described a customer base that is willing to experiment with AI - as long as the systems remain explainable.“It’s not that they don’t want to experiment. It’s that they want to know when they experiment, there’s going to be a good result.”That distinction matters.Sage is positioning its AI capabilities around visibility into how outputs are generated, rather than treating AI as a black box. Dan described how Sage customers can inspect the reasoning behind cash flow predictions, financial close recommendations, and other AI-generated outputs.“It’s not a black box. It’s actually transparent. You can see into how the steps were determined.”That transparency extends into Sage’s Copilot capabilities, where users can interrogate how the system arrived at a recommendation or prediction.For CFOs and finance teams, that creates auditability and confidence. For partners, it creates an environment where AI adoption becomes easier to operationalize with customers.The Partner Opportunity Around AI EnablementOne of the more interesting parts of the conversation was how Sage views AI through the lens of partner enablement, not just customer productivity.Dan talked about how Sage is helping partners accelerate implementations and reduce deployment friction.“One of the most important things for a partner is to have a pipeline of new business being delivered.”He connected that directly to Sage’s recent acquisition focused on accelerating Intacct migrations from systems like QuickBooks.The idea is straightforward: if Sage and its partners can reduce migration complexity and implementation timelines, partners can onboard more recurring revenue customers faster.That’s an important point for ecosystem leaders.AI is not only being positioned as a feature set for end customers. It is increasingly becoming an operational multiplier for partners themselves.Why Open Ecosystems Still MatterDan was also very clear that Sage does not believe a single company can build every workflow or every vertical solution customers need.That philosophy continues to shape Sage’s ISV strategy.“We believe at our very core that we need to be open. We know there’s no possible way that we could invent every piece of technology that solves for every vertical, every micro vertical, every workflow.”Instead, Sage is leaning heavily into ecosystem extensibility.The company works with a broad range of ISVs integrating into Sage platforms, while also creating tighter strategic relationships in priority verticals like nonprofit, healthcare, manufacturing, distribution, and financial services.In some cases, that means co-development. In others, it means packaging and selling integrated solutions together.The more interesting extension of this strategy is how Sage is now applying the same thinking to AI agents.AI Agents Become the Next Ecosystem LayerDan described Sage’s new AI developer program and marketplace as the next evolution of the platform ecosystem.The goal is to allow developers and partners to build highly specialized agent workflows directly into the Sage experience.That includes micro-vertical use cases where partners may have unique expertise, proprietary workflows, or integrations that only exist within a narrow industry segment.“Agents are going to be a new mode of delivery of capability.”Rather than treating AI agents as external tools, Sage is embedding them directly into the ERP workflow and user experience.Partners can build agents that appear inside the same Copilot interface Sage users already interact with.Just as importantly, those agents inherit Sage’s authentication and security framework.“Those agent capabilities are protected by the same kind of authentication capabilities and controls that we do for our users.”That creates a potentially important differentiator for enterprise AI adoption.Instead of customers stitching together disconnected AI tools with inconsistent governance, Sage is positioning AI agents inside an existing operational and security framework.The Bigger Ecosystem SignalOne of the broader signals from this conversation is how platform companies are evolving their ecosystem strategies in the AI era.Historically, ERP ecosystems were largely built around integrations and workflow extensions.Now, they are increasingly becoming marketplaces for intelligent workflows, embedded agents, and verticalized AI expertise.That creates new opportunities for ISVs, SIs, and developers that deeply understand a particular industry process or operational workflow.The winners may not simply be the companies with the largest models or most generic AI capabilities.They may be the ecosystem partners that can combine trusted data access, workflow expertise, and operational context into highly specific business outcomes.And as Dan emphasized throughout the conversation, trust remains central to that equation.“We provide those controls, those guardrails, those are in place, which provides real value for customers because they know that they’re protected by that same set of standards that we hold ourselves accountable to.”🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 130+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit insidepartnering.substack.comAt Sage FUTURE in San Francisco, Nancy Sperry, Vice President of North American Partner Sales at Sage, shared a practical view into how Sage approaches partnerships, co-selling, and AI enablement.The conversation focused on operational execution - how to help partners scale faster, create industry-specific customer outcomes, and build durable businesses together.One theme came through consistently: Sage is designing its ecosystem strategy around partner growth, not just partner participation.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Building a Partner BusinessSperry framed Sage’s approach around a simple idea: if partners grow, Sage grows alongside them.“How do we remove the barriers to growth for the partner? That’s an incredible kind of focus.”Rather than viewing partnerships strictly through pipeline contribution or resale metrics, Sage appears to be thinking more holistically about partner economics and operational scalability.Sperry described investments in tooling, acquisitions, AI capabilities, and co-sell motions as intentionally designed to help partners execute faster.“All of it is designed to be executed through the lens of partner.”That philosophy extends into how Sage structures its go-to-market organization. According to Sperry, Sage’s North American partner organization works closely alongside partner sales teams in the field, helping partners add sales capacity, industry expertise, and execution support.Co-Sell as Staff AugmentationOne of the more interesting operational models discussed was Sage’s approach to co-selling.Sperry explained that Sage account executives can effectively operate as an extension of partner sales teams.“What that does is it actually gives partners some additional sales capacity.”For smaller or growing partners, this becomes a meaningful scaling mechanism. Instead of waiting until they can independently fund new headcount, partners can leverage Sage resources to accelerate pipeline development and industry expansion.Sperry described this as a practical way to help partners grow faster while reducing operational friction.“If they want to go into a particular industry, we can add a little bit of industry knowledge.”That support can include:* Additional sales coverage* Industry specialization* Mentorship for new partner reps* Joint customer engagement* Pipeline accelerationImportantly, she framed this as a shared investment model.“We’re investing together.”That alignment matters because many partners are balancing hiring decisions, utilization targets, and services capacity while simultaneously trying to grow recurring revenue practices.The Power of Micro-Vertical ExpertiseAnother major theme was Sage’s focus on industry depth.Sperry explained that while Sage serves many broad industries, partners often go even deeper into highly specialized micro-verticals.“We have over 50 micro verticals that we can kind of talk about.”This is where the ecosystem becomes a force multiplier.Partners combine:* Sage technology* Industry expertise* Specialized services* ISV integrations* Workflow customizationThe result is highly tailored customer experiences that are difficult for generalized providers to replicate.Sperry also highlighted how partners frequently overlap across multiple ecosystem motions simultaneously. A reseller may also build proprietary technology. An outsourcing partner may also operate as an ISV.That flexibility creates broader customer coverage and more specialized outcomes.“One partner may not solve that challenge exactly the same way.”For partner leaders, that observation matters. Ecosystems increasingly win through combinations of expertise rather than through single-vendor standardization.Trusted AI Requires Trusted PartnersAI was a central topic throughout Sage FUTURE, particularly around trusted AI for finance and accounting workflows.Sperry emphasized that Sage’s long history in accounting gives the company a strong foundation for responsible AI adoption.“We get to build on the foundation of not just strong strength in accounting, but also bringing forward that trusted AI.”She also made an important point about the role partners play in AI adoption.For many customers, the partner is the first trusted advisor they turn to when evaluating how AI should be applied to their business.That’s why Sage is involving partners directly in AI development initiatives, including its agentic AI developer program.“They’re building AI with us.”Sperry referenced partners already building agents and AI-driven solutions on top of Sage capabilities.This reflects a broader ecosystem trend: hyperscalers and platform companies increasingly need partners not just to sell AI, but to operationalize it within specific workflows and industries.

At Sage FUTURES in San Francisco, Gretchen O’Hara delivered a clear message to partners: the market is shifting fast - and the opportunity is massive. But despite the noise around AI, one thing hasn’t changed.Partners are still at the center of how businesses win.“The channel is one of the most important things because our partners are the ones that have the deepest industry expertise and are closest to customers that can really solve their unique, unique business challenges.”AI may accelerate execution, but it doesn’t replace the need for domain expertise, customer proximity, and trusted advisory. In fact, it amplifies it.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Cutting Through AI Noise with Real ValueOne of the biggest challenges partners face today is separating signal from noise.There’s hype everywhere - startups, tools, promises of automation. But Sage is pushing partners toward something more grounded: delivering real, measurable value to customers.“There’s a lot of hype on AI, there’s a lot of startups, there’s a lot of noise in the market. And so how do we help our partners sort of cut through that noise? Delivering real value with AI to our customers.”For SMB customers in particular, the bar is high. These are financial systems. Accuracy and trust are non-negotiable.“AI has to be right a hundred percent of the time in this space and SMBs shouldn’t expect anything less.”That requirement fundamentally shapes how partners need to approach AI - not as experimentation, but as production-grade capability tied directly to business outcomes.The AWS + Sage Strategy: Enabling the EcosystemA major announcement at the event was Sage’s strategic collaboration with AWS. But this wasn’t framed as just a technology partnership - it’s an ecosystem play.The goal is to enable partners to build, extend, and monetize solutions on top of Sage’s platform using modern AI infrastructure.Three priorities stand out:* Enable ISVs and builders to create extensions via an agentic marketplace* Remove friction from customer migration to modern cloud environments* Deepen co-sell collaboration across Sage, AWS, and partnersThe intent is clear: reduce barriers, accelerate adoption, and create new revenue opportunities for partners.“We want to remove the complexity. We want to remove the financial risk… and help our partners make that move with our customers faster.”This is less about incremental improvement and more about unlocking a new phase of ecosystem-driven growth.A Defining Moment for PartnersO’Hara was explicit about timing. This is not a “wait and see” moment.“The time is now. The time is to really focus on making sure that you’re bringing the best delivery, the best service, the best advisory to your customers.”The partners who commit early - especially in areas like agentic AI and modern finance workflows - will have a structural advantage.At the same time, Sage is signaling that it intends to bring the entire ecosystem along, not just a subset of leading partners.PwC and the Shift in the SI Business ModelOne of the most important signals came from Sage’s announcement with PwC.The core idea: use AI to dramatically reduce implementation timelines - from months down to a fraction of that - and shift value toward higher-level services.“Reduce implementation time… and shift the value of the dollars that customers are spending, not on the time it takes for the implementation, but the value we’re going to get on these integrated workflows.”This represents a fundamental shift in how system integrators operate.Historically, revenue was tied heavily to implementation effort. But in an AI-driven world, that model starts to break down.“Why am I paying these billable hours for something that should be easy to run and go and help me?”Instead, partners move up the stack:* Advisory services* Solution design* AI-driven innovation* Ongoing optimization“My billable hours aren’t going to go away… but the value I’m bringing to customers is so much higher.”For partners willing to evolve, this is not a threat - it’s an expansion of opportunity.From Implementation to Lifetime ValueAnother key shift is how partners think about customer relationships.In a cloud and AI-driven world, success isn’t defined by implementation - it’s defined by ongoing adoption, usage, and impact.“You are now a strategic advisor in that business… you’re going to stay, you’re going to retain, you’re going to grow that customer.”This changes the economic model:* Less focus on one-time projects* More focus on lifetime customer value* Greater emphasis on retention and expansionPartners who lean into this transition can build more durable, scalable businesses.The Unique Strength of the Sage EcosystemAfter six months in the role, O’Hara highlighted something she sees as distinctive about Sage.“Partners are our strategy. It’s not afterthought, it’s not an add on, it is the ecosystem of how we’re going to make this future win together.”That level of commitment shapes everything - from product direction to GTM strategy.It also creates a foundation for long-term trust and collaboration, including multi-generational partner relationships.But even within that strong foundation, partners are asking for clarity.How do we win in this next phase?How do we monetize AI?How do we evolve our business models?Those are the questions Sage is now focused on helping answer.Final ThoughtThe biggest takeaway from this conversation is not about AI itself.It’s about the role of partners in an AI-driven market.AI will change how solutions are built, delivered, and monetized.But the partners who understand customer needs, bring industry expertise, and deliver real outcomes will only become more important.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 130+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

For years, partnerships with global systems integrators were often viewed through a narrow lens - implementation, services, and support.Rajiv Batra challenges that assumption directly.“A lot of times when we work with GSIs… there is a notion that it’s more focused on process consulting… I will say that’s not fully true.”Instead, GSIs are increasingly central to building differentiated, industry-specific solutions. The real value is not just delivery - it is co-creation.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Start with Industry, Not TechnologyOne of the most important shifts Rajiv describes is where solution building begins.Not with products. Not with features.But with industry patterns.“Pick an industry… focus on what exactly are the common patterns which we are seeing… the challenges our customers are facing.”GSIs bring decades of domain expertise across healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, and beyond. That knowledge becomes the foundation for building solutions that actually resonate.Google Cloud and ISV partners brings the platform and technology.GSI Partners bring the context.Together, they build something neither could deliver alone.The Blurring of ISV and SI RolesOne of the most interesting dynamics in the conversation is how traditional categories are breaking down.“The lines are blurred now.”GSIs are no longer just implementers. They are building IP, assembling multi-vendor solutions, and packaging repeatable offerings.At the same time, platforms like Google Cloud are leaning heavily into ecosystem orchestration.The result is a more connected, interdependent model where:* ISVs contribute product innovation* GSIs contribute industry solutions* Platforms enable scale and distributionThe differentiation comes from how well these pieces are integrated.AI Is Changing How Partnerships OperateRajiv makes a clear distinction when talking about AI.The real transformation is not about automation. It is about moving from data to insight to value.“The real power… is not about the capture of data… that’s the starting of the journey.”This shows up in two critical areas.1. Internal Productivity and Decision MakingRajiv describes using AI as a “chief of staff” to prioritize work, summarize information, and guide daily execution.“Gone are the days where I start my day with a cluttered inbox… today, I start my day talking to my AI chief of staff.”This is not just efficiency - it is focus.2. Transforming Core GTM MotionsMore importantly, AI is reshaping how partners plan and execute together.Traditional joint business planning relied heavily on:* Account mapping* Territory alignment* Historical relationshipsThat model is being replaced.“We have moved away from spending time on data gathering to alignment on scalable and joint solutions.”Instead of asking “where do we sell?”, the question becomes:“What solutions can we scale together?”From Pitch Decks to Live DemosAnother major shift is how partners engage customers.The old model centered on presentations.The new model is experiential.“No more are the days where I’m basically getting into a meeting… nowadays, it’s not PPT… we run through the demo.”This is a meaningful change.Rather than describing value, teams are showing it in real time.And increasingly, those demos are generated dynamically using AI - tailored to specific industries, use cases, and customer challenges.Co-Sell Is Not a Standard PlaybookOne of the most important takeaways is how Rajiv frames co-sell with GSIs.“CoSell with GSI partners… is a very unique, tailored motion.”Why?Because GSIs are not operating at the transactional level. They are embedded with customer leadership, helping shape long-term transformation.That changes everything about how co-sell works.The motion starts with:* Deep industry segmentation* Specific problem definition* Pre-built or demo-ready solutionsFrom there, execution becomes a three-way alignment:* Partner* Platform seller* Partner ecosystem team“There is nothing called… partner source, Google source… it’s truly about co selling to the end customer together.”Measuring What Actually MattersMeasurement is another area where Rajiv pushes beyond conventional thinking.Yes, traditional metrics still matter:* Influenced revenue* Bookings* CertificationsBut they are not enough.“Looking at either of these in silos is actually… a wrong approach.”Instead, Google evaluates partners holistically across two dimensions:1. Current PerformanceRevenue impact, pipeline, and capability2. Future PotentialExecutive alignment, joint planning, and co-build initiativesThe combination of both determines true partner value.The Role of Leadership in Scaling PartnershipsFinally, Rajiv shares a simple but powerful philosophy for leading partner teams.“You run your business… partnership as your core business.”His focus is:* Providing data and insights* Acting as an unblocker* Helping prioritize what mattersIn a fast-moving environment - where partners, products, and customers are all evolving simultaneously - clarity becomes a competitive advantage.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 130+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

At AWS Global Partner Summit last week, a clear theme emerged: the next evolution of partnerships isn’t just better programs or more incentives.It’s intelligence embedded directly into partner teams’ workflows.In this episode of Inside Partnering, I spoke with Abhisheikh Lahoti, Director, AWS Marketplace and Partner Services and Jessica Rudy, Partner Experience Leader at AWS. Jessica and Lahoti help unpack what AWS is building with Partner Central Agents - and why it has the potential to fundamentally change how partners operate, sell, and scale.The Core Problem: Fragmentation Slows Everything DownFor years, partners have faced a familiar challenge:* Fragmented data across systems* Siloed expertise across teams* Manual coordination across organizationsAs Lahoti puts it:“If you’re working across organization boundaries… fragmented data, siloed expertise, just the manual coordination… slows things down.”The result?Slower deals.Missed opportunities.And a heavy reliance on a small group of “AWS experts” inside partner organizations.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.From Bottlenecks to “Expertise on Demand”The shift AWS is making is simple in concept, but powerful in execution:Move intelligence from centralized teams into the hands of every seller.“Partners get guidance when they need… imagine you’re getting recommendations on when AWS will give you incentives.”Instead of relying on:* Deal desks* Partner ops teams* Internal expertsSales reps can now access:* Funding recommendations* Sales plays* Next-step guidanceDirectly inside their workflow.Whole Org Activation - Not Just Alliance TeamsOne of the most important ideas in the conversation is what Jessica calls “whole org activation.”Historically, partnerships have been concentrated in a small group:* Alliance leaders* Partner managers* SpecialistsEveryone else?They rely on second-hand knowledge.“People need the information at the moment that they need it… expecting everybody to absorb all of this… is a little untenable.”This leads to a predictable pattern:* Create enablement programs* Build internal processes* Add operational layersBut those layers become bottlenecks.Agentic workflows change that by pushing intelligence directly to:* Field sellers* Account teams* Customer-facing rolesDeal Velocity Becomes the North StarAt the center of all of this is one metric:Deal velocity.AWS is using agents to compress what used to take weeks into minutes.“You’re actually showing up in front of customers in a much better prepared fashion… now this is possible in minutes.”That preparation includes:* Customer context and industry insights* Objection handling* Co-sell strategy* Validation criteriaAnd it doesn’t stop there.From Static CRM Updates to Continuous IntelligenceOne of the more transformative capabilities discussed is how agents interact with live deal activity.“You just need to… upload that recording… it’ll automatically… add next steps… and you don’t need to go into the CRM again.”This represents a major shift:From manual CRM updates → to automated deal progressionInstead of:* Logging notes* Updating stages* Coordinating internallyThe system:* Analyzes conversations* Identifies risks and blockers* Recommends next actionsAll in real time.Simplifying Complexity Without Losing FlexibilityFunding programs are a great example of the tradeoff AWS is trying to solve:* Simplicity vs flexibility* Standardization vs innovation“We want it to be really simple, but… we don’t want to stop finding opportunities to fund a new strategic engagement.”Agents allow AWS to:* Maintain a complex, evolving system* While presenting a simple interface to partnersThat’s a critical unlock.The Bigger Vision: Expanding Beyond the DealWhile much of the focus today is on pipeline and deal execution, the roadmap goes further:* Top-of-funnel campaign generation* Account planning* Personalized sales plays per lead* Partner upskilling and validation* Migration accelerationThe goal?End-to-end lifecycle support.“We wanna move more upstream… account planning and driving top of funnel campaigns… at scale through agents.”Lowering the Barrier for New PartnersOne of the most overlooked implications is how this impacts early-stage partners.“We’re really trying to accelerate that time to activation… so that partners see value… right out of the gate.”Historically, success with AWS required:* Relationships* Experience* Institutional knowledgeNow, much of that can be:* Guided* Accelerated* EmbeddedA Shift in How We Think About PartnershipsStepping back, this is about a shift in operating model and really transforming the partner engagement model when working with AWS.“Everything we’re trying to do is allow that convergence to happen… and make the most of that convergence.”Jessica describes this as convergence - bringing together:* Data* Teams* Systems* WorkflowsWithout requiring rigid standardization.Final ThoughtFor partner leaders, the takeaway is clear.AWS is delivering intelligence embedded in execution.And the organizations that adapt fastest to this model will have a significant advantage.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 130+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

Partnerships have always been important in enterprise technology. But according to Shobana Shankar, Head of ISV Sales for Data Analytics at Google Cloud, they are no longer optional.Partnerships are foundational to how modern cloud platforms deliver value to customers.In this episode of Inside Partnering, Shankar shares how Google Cloud approaches ISV partnerships - from joint business planning and co-sell execution to the role of marketplace and AI in shaping the next generation of ecosystems.Her message is clear. Partnerships are evolving from opportunistic relationships to deeply integrated go-to-market motions.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.From “Partners, Who?” to Embedded in Every Account PlanShankar joined Google Cloud about eight years ago after spending a decade working in the Cisco ecosystem.At the time, cloud partnerships were still early.“I remember talking to sales teams and we were like, partners, who? It was so early at that time for cloud to be thinking about partners.”Today, the picture is very different.Partners are now embedded in Google Cloud’s sales and account planning processes.“Partners are absolutely ingrained in every single account plan and business plan that our direct sellers have.”That shift required more than enthusiasm for partnerships. It required structure.Partner programs, incentives, and enablement have become the mechanism that transforms the intent to partner into a repeatable system.The Three Pillars of a Successful ISV PartnershipShankar describes Google Cloud’s ISV partnerships through three core motions.* Co-build* Co-marketing* Co-sellEach ISV partnership includes a joint business plan that outlines how those three pillars will work together.“There has to be the co build, there has to be the co marketing, and there has to be a co sell.”The goal is to create solutions that neither company could deliver alone.“We’re always with ISVs chasing that better together story. What is that 1 plus 1 equals 3?”When the partnership works, the combined solution solves a customer problem more effectively than either product independently.That outcome becomes the North Star for the partnership.Quality Over Quantity in the Partner EcosystemOne of the challenges of ecosystem strategy is deciding how broadly to expand the partner base.Shankar says Google Cloud has become more selective.“Our core focus is going deeper with a more select group of partners where we can have a material impact.”That does not mean ignoring innovation.In fast-moving areas like AI, new partners are constantly emerging. The strategy is to balance structure with agility.Google Cloud supports established partners while remaining ready to identify emerging companies that may become key ecosystem players.Marketplace as a Strategic DifferentiatorOne of the most interesting shifts Shankar describes is how Google Cloud thinks about marketplace.Marketplace is no longer viewed simply as a transaction layer.“We don’t want marketplace to be a transaction vehicle anymore. We want it to be a strategic differentiator.”That shift changes how partnerships are structured.Joint business plans increasingly focus on how Google Cloud can help partners:* accelerate deals* increase deal size* source new opportunitiesShankar’s team now has compensation tied to generating opportunities for ISV partners.“My team’s compensation has a component where they have a target to source opportunity for our ISVs.”In other words, the hyperscaler is expected to actively help drive partner revenue.The Evolution of the Partner Sales RoleOne of the biggest changes in Google Cloud’s ISV organization is how the partner sales team is built.Early on, the team hired primarily for alliance experience.That has evolved.“Our hiring has evolved significantly. Hire for folks with direct sales acumen and individuals who have that hunter mentality.”The reason is simple. Co-selling effectively requires understanding how sales leaders think.Shankar believes partner specialists should operate almost like embedded members of the ISV sales organization.“The CRO of the ISV should tap into the specialist on my team as someone who works for their company with a google.com domain.”That level of alignment requires people who understand pipeline generation, deal cycles, and revenue goals.Measuring Partner SuccessRevenue remains a critical metric, but Shankar emphasizes that partner success must be measured across the entire lifecycle.Google Cloud tracks both leading and lagging indicators.Examples include:* marketplace revenue* Google-sourced opportunities* pipeline generation* account mapping and engagement* marketing activity* joint demos and specializationsPipeline health is especially important.“We definitely think about having the 3x pipeline at a minimum for ISVs.”Quality matters just as much as quantity.Pipeline must reflect real opportunities where the joint value proposition resonates with customers.The Impact of AI on the EcosystemAI is accelerating both innovation and partnership.In many cases, hyperscalers and ISVs may overlap in capabilities.But Shankar sees that dynamic as a natural part of modern ecosystems.“Sometimes we compete and sometimes we complement, but regardless… gone are the days for us to think about one solution from one company can solve all of customers.”The reality of AI is that no single vendor can solve every problem.Partnership becomes the mechanism for delivering integrated solutions.The Era of Deep PartnershipsShankar believes the industry has entered a new phase.Partnerships are no longer optional go-to-market experiments.They are central to how technology companies succeed.“We are in the era of deep, authentic partnerships. It’s not just a strategy anymore. It is a fundamental necessity for success.”For partner leaders building ecosystems today, that may be the most important takeaway.The future of technology innovation will not be built by single companies.It will be built by ecosystems.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 130+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

One of the clearest themes from this conversation with Erica Hakonson is that partner strategy has to reflect where a company actually is in its lifecycle. Too many organizations copy a partner model that worked for someone else, without asking whether it fits their own stage, resources, or goals.Erica has lived this from multiple angles - advising partners inside the Microsoft ecosystem, running Maven Collective Marketing, and even founding her own ISV.“It really depends on what stage in your journey as a company you are.”For mature companies introducing a new product or service line, Erica recommends a controlled, pilot-style approach. A small number of well-chosen partners, deeply enabled, can tell you whether the model works before you scale it.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Startups face a very different reality.“From my perspective as a founder where we came with no partners and bootstrapped funding, it was the name of the game was how many partners can we get?”In that scenario, partners also function as marketing, air cover, and credibility. Volume matters early, with refinement coming later once patterns emerge.Why the Second Deal Matters More Than the FirstA recurring insight in this episode is that partner success is not defined by the first transaction. First deals can be accidental. Repeatability is what signals a real motion.“Getting that first sale is great but can be a fluke. It’s getting to that second sale that really means, okay, now we’re cooking.”That second deal proves several things at once - that sellers understand what they are selling, that incentives are aligned, and that the partner sees ongoing value. Without that, partner programs stall quietly, even if the pipeline looks healthy on paper.This is where enablement, compensation, and internal support intersect. Technical certification alone is not enough if sellers are neither confident nor motivated.“You could have someone technically trained inside of these partner organizations, but if the sellers don’t know what they’re selling and they’re not incentivized to sell, you’re going to have technically trained individuals and nobody’s selling.”Co-Sell Only Works When You Align to the PlatformWhen the conversation turns to Microsoft co-sell, Erica emphasizes alignment over tactics. Partners that perform well are not guessing at Microsoft priorities - they are mapping directly to them.“It’s really just aligning year after year with what are Microsoft’s priorities, how are we aligning our solution playbook with their solution playbook.”Marketplace has become central to this alignment, especially as Microsoft increasingly expects transactions and quota retirement to happen there.“There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Microsoft wants to be a marketplace.”What has changed is not just visibility, but incentives. Field sellers can now retire quota through marketplace transactions, which fundamentally alters behavior.“The fact that they can retire quota in marketplace is a game changer.”For partners, this raises the bar on readiness. Listings, co-sell materials, customer stories, and transactability are no longer optional hygiene - they are how partners get discovered when a seller does not already know them.Making It Easy for the Field to Choose YouMicrosoft sellers are overloaded. Erica is blunt about what cuts through the noise.“Sellers are going to pay attention to the things that help them retire quota.”The partners who earn repeat introductions are the ones who reduce risk for the field. That means clear proof points, repeat wins, and disciplined communication.“If we have partners that are continually showing us they’re winning in this industry or they’re winning in this workload, we as leaders will share that out to our team.”Win wires, case studies, and consistent updates are not busywork - they are signals of reliability. The goal is simple: make it easy for a seller to say yes without fear of a bad introduction.Incentives Matter - But Only If You Understand ThemMicrosoft incentives evolve constantly, and Erica acknowledges how difficult they are to track.“They’re novels.”Still, she is clear that partners who invest in understanding incentives outperform those who ignore them. Whether it is AI readiness, marketplace transactability, or workload-specific funding, incentives shape behavior across sellers, partners, and customers.The challenge is operational. Partner Center is complex, and many organizations under-resource it.“It’s worthwhile to invest in someone that can navigate you through that because there’s plenty of incentives, plenty of funding that’s happening.”Measurement That Drives the Right BehaviorFinally, Erica returns to measurement - not as a reporting exercise, but as a lever for growth.Marketplace performance, listing decay, and engagement metrics now require ongoing attention as the platform evolves. But one metric stands out above the rest.“What’s the opportunity to land and expand?”Tracking how partners and customers move from one workload to the next creates a clear expansion roadmap. When sales teams understand how that expansion translates into revenue, behavior follows.“If they can translate that product or that service into, ‘Hey, this makes you more money,’ generally the sales team is right on board.”Partner programs succeed when strategy, incentives, enablement, and measurement reinforce each other. This episode offers a grounded look at what that actually requires.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 130+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

Partner-led growth often looks simple from the outside. List on marketplace. Enable co-sell. Build a better together story. But in practice, many ISVs stall long before they see predictable results.In this episode of Inside Partnering, Jen Dawson, Founder and CEO of SaaSNova, explains why. After years working inside AWS and supporting nearly a hundred ISVs, she has seen the same pattern repeat itself.Strong products. Serious ambition.But no clear path to predictable GTM.“What I kept seeing across founders is they had strong products, but they didn’t have a very clear path to predictable GTM.”That realization is what led Jen to start SaaSNova - not as a strategy consultancy, but as an execution-focused operating model for AWS Marketplace and co-sell.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.AWS Is an Amplification Engine, Not a Safety NetOne of the most important reframes Jen offers is how founders should think about AWS itself.Many assume AWS will generate demand if they simply onboard correctly. In reality, the relationship works very differently.“AWS is not the lead gen engine. It’s an amplification engine.”AWS sellers lean in when ISVs show momentum. Clear ICP. Clear value. Active deals. Without those signals, even well-built offerings struggle to gain field attention.This is especially true given the scale of AWS.“AWS is massive. Thousands of sellers. Lots of moving parts.”For ISVs, that scale means simplicity and clarity matter far more than depth or volume.Why the Better Together Story Comes FirstJen repeatedly comes back to the importance of joint messaging - not as a marketing exercise, but as the foundation of execution.“The better together messaging becomes the foundation of all GTM programs.”She breaks this into layers:* First, the ISV’s own product story* Second, how that story maps to AWS priorities* Third, how channel or services partners fit into the motionEach layer builds on the previous one. Without that structure, campaigns, pitches, and field enablement break down.The key question every version of the message must answer is the same:Who is this for, and why does it matter right now?Marketplace Is the Route Sellers PreferFrom the field’s perspective, AWS Marketplace simplifies everything. Procurement. Alignment. Incentives.“AWS sellers love marketplace because it removes procurement friction for their customers.”Jen emphasizes starting small. Early private offers create momentum and internal proof. Over time, those deals expand into broader CPPO and co-sell motions.Marketplace also plays a critical role for cross-border ISVs trying to establish credibility in the US market.“Making sure you have a marketplace-ready offer so the AWS teams can really lean in.”What Actually Gets Field AttentionAWS sellers are not persuaded by long decks or generic positioning. They respond to clarity and quantified impact.“AWS teams are very data driven.”ISVs that can articulate outcomes in concrete terms - time saved, cost reduced, migration accelerated - are far easier for sellers to champion.Jen also points out that products which drive AWS consumption or workload stickiness naturally rise in priority.“If the ISV really increases compute, storage, or keeps workloads on AWS, they become strategically important.”Channel Partners as a Force MultiplierFor ISVs focused on scale, channel partners are not optional.“The channel partner adds the acceleration. They add the scale.”Resellers and consulting partners bring reach, relationships, and field capacity that ISVs rarely have on their own. When aligned correctly with AWS motions like CPPO, they significantly extend an ISV’s effective footprint.The Metrics That Signal SeriousnessJen outlines four categories of KPIs that matter most when building credibility with AWS:“Marketplace KPIs. Co-sell KPIs. Adoption and consumption KPIs. Partner program KPIs.”These metrics show not just activity, but execution readiness. They tell AWS that the ISV is aligned, disciplined, and capable of scaling.The Reality of Strategic Collaboration AgreementsSCAs are often viewed as the end goal. Jen offers a grounded perspective.“The SCA only works when both sides agree on revenue targets, pipeline targets, and execution.”SCAs require real commitment, executive alignment, and the ability to execute against a joint business plan. They are rare for a reason.“When the ISV shows up with clarity and readiness, that’s when AWS shows up with scale.”Closing ThoughtThis conversation reinforces a simple truth: partner-led growth does not fail because of partnerships. It fails because execution lags intent.“Make it easy for AWS to help you.”For experienced partner leaders, that advice is not simplistic - it is operational.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 130+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit insidepartnering.substack.comFrom the earliest days of DataMasque, Grant de Leeuw made a deliberate choice - this would not be a lightweight SaaS tool chasing fast adoption. The company was built to serve large, regulated enterprises where data privacy, security, and usability collide.Grant framed the problem clearly. Enterprises need to use real customer data internally for development, testing, analytics, and increasingly AI. But regulation and security controls make that data difficult to use safely.“Organizations need to leverage their customer data for their own internal purposes… but because of the regulation and security privacy around some of their most important data, they actually really struggle to leverage it internally.”DataMasque was created to solve that tension by enabling what Grant calls high-fidelity synthetic data - data that is de-identified, but still behaves exactly like production data across systems.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Why Usability Matters More Than Perfect SecurityA recurring theme in the conversation was that many existing solutions over-index on security at the expense of usefulness. According to Grant, that tradeoff creates downstream problems.“While they will remove the sensitivity of the data, they’re actually effectively trashing the usability.”Engineering and product teams need messy, imperfect data to test real-world edge cases. When lower environments are populated with overly clean or unrealistic data, systems often pass through test and QA, but fail in production.“The messiness of production has to be replicated into these lower environments… otherwise you roll it into production and everything breaks.”DataMasque’s approach focuses on masking at the field level while preserving relationships across systems, ensuring consistency even in complex, multi-application environments.The Hidden Risk of Non-Production EnvironmentsGrant highlighted a risk that many organizations underestimate - the size and exposure of non-production data.“Seventy to eighty percent of an organization’s data footprint can be non-production.”These environments often have weaker governance and broader access, making them a frequent source of breaches. For DataMasque, this reinforced the need to secure data where it is most widely used, not just where it originates.Choosing AWS Marketplace as a Core GTM StrategyBased in New Zealand, DataMasque faced a structural challenge. Their ideal customers were global enterprises, but building a traditional overseas sales presence was cost-prohibitive.AWS Marketplace became the answer - initially almost by accident.“I came out of the meeting going, I assume this is what everyone’s buying off Marketplace.”The early days were slow, but momentum built through a combination of co-build, co-marketing, and co-selling motions. A customer case study and an AWS-authored blog post marked the inflection point.“Suddenly it was like we had the co-build, then the co-marketing started to happen… and the flywheel started to turn.”Marketplace enabled DataMasque to transact globally without a US entity or local bank accounts, dramatically lowering the cost of international expansion.“We could actually do this all from here and done it in an extremely cost effective manner.”

Granite Telecommunications is a nearly $2B business serving multi-location enterprises and government customers across the U.S. and Canada. But if you listen closely to Charlie Pagliazzo, Vice President of Channels, the story of Granite’s growth does not start with revenue. It starts with partners.Charlie has been at Granite for more than two decades, including building the channel organization from scratch. What began as a one-person effort has grown into an 80+ person channels team supporting more than 800 active selling partners delivering over $500M of that total ARR number. That scale did not happen by accident.“We look at our partners as our customers. Without their success, we don’t have any success.”That philosophy shows up in how Granite structures its teams, invests in enablement, and evaluates ROI across the entire partner lifecycle.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Scaling a channel without losing focusOne of the most striking aspects of the conversation is how deliberate Charlie is about scale. Granite’s channel organization is large, but it is not generic. Roles are segmented by partner type, solution expertise, and regional coverage.“Partnerships are about ROI - but not just dollars spent. It’s human resource spend as well. How are our people spending their time, and who are they spending it with?”ROI, in Charlie’s view, is not just a finance exercise. It is a discipline that forces focus. Which partners are aligned. Where Granite can truly add value. And where deep expertise - not just broad coverage - makes the difference.This is especially important in a channel ecosystem that includes individual agents, large VARs, MSPs, distributors, and mobility-focused specialists. Each partner operates differently, and Granite adapts its engagement model accordingly.The evolution of the network businessGranite’s roots were in simplifying telecom complexity - aggregating disparate copper-based services into a single billing and service platform. That model fueled early growth, but the industry has changed dramatically.Copper is being retired. Networks are converging. UCaaS, CCaaS, SD-WAN, 5G, fiber, and edge computing are now table stakes. And AI is putting unprecedented pressure on bandwidth, latency, and security.“AI is impacting every facet of the business. The need for throughput and bandwidth is putting real pressure on end users.”Charlie makes it clear that these changes are not abstract trends. They directly affect how partners sell, how customers buy, and how Granite builds solutions. The company has responded by developing proprietary offerings, including patented POTS replacement solutions, while also aggregating best-of-breed providers across mobility, networking, and security.Collaboration as a competitive advantageA recurring theme throughout the discussion is collaboration. Granite does not position itself as the single answer to every problem. Instead, it acts as an orchestrator - combining its own network and platforms with a broad ecosystem of underlying providers.“The whole ecosystem requires partnership. We want to make sure partners see all the different things available to take to market.”This approach gives partners flexibility while still benefiting from Granite’s scale. Volume matters. Granite’s purchasing power and critical mass translate into leverage with underlying carriers and technology providers - leverage that partners can bring to their customers.Measuring partner performance beyond revenueRevenue matters, but it is not the only metric that counts. Charlie describes a performance framework that looks at engagement, responsiveness, and mutual investment.“If we’re providing training, marketing, and expertise, what’s coming back? It has to be a win-win that leads to an end-user purchase.”Granite aligns partner-facing roles around relationship management, solution expertise, and specialized vertical or solution focus. That structure allows the team to stay close to partner needs while still maintaining accountability.M&A, private equity, and channel disruptionThe channel landscape is changing fast. Private equity and venture capital are reshaping partner organizations, driving consolidation and new competitive dynamics.Charlie views this influx of capital as both an opportunity and a risk.“Capital allows for growth and innovation. But we can’t lose sight of why this industry grew in the first place - taking care of the customer.”Some partners are building at scale through acquisition. Others are choosing to remain independent and differentiate through expertise and service. Granite works with both, but the underlying principle stays the same - customer outcomes come first.Why AI makes the channel more relevant, not lessRather than disintermediating partners, AI is increasing their importance. As customer environments become more complex, the need for consultative guidance grows.“AI and bandwidth-driven demands create a myriad of opportunities for partners to have better conversations with end users.”From real-time analytics to customer experience optimization, the network is now a strategic asset. Partners who understand that shift are well positioned. Granite’s role is to give them the tools, infrastructure, and support to deliver.Looking aheadGranite is privately held, which gives it freedom to play the long game. Charlie is optimistic about the future, but grounded in execution.“We’re not beholden to anyone but our customers and ourselves. What do they need, and how can we get it for them?”For partner leaders navigating rapid change, this conversation is a reminder that fundamentals still matter - trust, ROI discipline, and relentless focus on customer value.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 130+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

At AWS re:Invent in Las Vegas, I had the chance to catch up with Masooma Naqvi, Vice President of Digital Services at HP, to talk about one of the most pressing challenges facing enterprises today - managing increasingly complex IT environments while still delivering exceptional employee experiences.The shift from office-first to remote, hybrid, and now partial return-to-office has permanently raised expectations. Employees expect technology to work seamlessly wherever they are, while IT leaders are under constant pressure to control costs and reduce downtime.“The only thing that’s consistent besides change is that employee expectations keep getting higher and higher on the tools they need to get work done.”Masooma’s role sits right at the intersection of those pressures.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Inside HP’s Workforce Experience PlatformAt the center of HP’s digital services portfolio is its Workforce Experience Platform (WXP). The platform spans device telemetry, collaboration tools, network data, and application insights to help IT teams understand what is happening across their entire estate.“It is really geared toward fleet management of the IT estate - PCs, printers, collaboration equipment, the network - and how we can proactively identify issues and remediate them.”The goal is not visibility for visibility’s sake. It is about proactive action - identifying issues before they impact productivity and resolving them automatically where possible.AI as Interface and Intelligence EngineMasooma described two distinct ways HP applies AI inside WXP.First, AI acts as the conversational interface. CIOs and help desk teams can ask natural-language questions about cost drivers, recurring incidents, and optimization opportunities.“We use AI as the conversational interface of the platform so CIOs and help desk agents can quickly understand where the biggest issues and costs are.”Second, AI works behind the scenes, analyzing massive volumes of telemetry data across devices to predict and prevent failures.“That’s where AI becomes really powerful - using machine learning and inference to proactively solve issues before they happen.”Predictive Self-Healing at ScaleOne of the most compelling outcomes of this approach is predictive self-healing. By working with Amazon Web Services and Amazon Bedrock, HP can anticipate recurring issues and deploy fixes automatically.“We can not only identify that an issue might reemerge, but tell you what the appropriate fix is - and in some cases deploy that fix on your behalf.”The impact is measurable - less downtime, lower help desk costs, and better employee experiences across distributed environments.A Platform Built for PartnersA recurring theme in the conversation was HP’s partner-first mindset. WXP is designed not just for direct enterprise customers, but also for MSPs and GSIs who wrap their own services and tooling around the platform.“For our partners, we give them these tools so they can wrap services or incremental value around it and better serve their customers.”This approach allows HP to scale across enterprise, mid-market, and SMB segments without relying on heavy customization.What Customers Are Asking for at re:InventLike nearly every conversation at re:Invent, AI dominated customer discussions - but with a more practical tone than in previous years.“It’s not just a technology anymore. Customers are asking what AI is actually doing for them in terms of optimization and understanding.”Masooma noted a visible shift from proof-of-concepts to real, production-ready solutions across the expo floor, reflecting faster development cycles and maturing AI platforms.Co-Building With AmazonHP’s partnership with AWS spans co-build, co-market, and co-innovation. Beyond using Amazon tools to accelerate development, HP actively feeds enterprise-scale requirements back into Amazon product teams.“Many of the requirements we have around predictive analytics have come from us into the Bedrock team to say we have to be able to solve these problems.”The collaboration also extends into sovereign data initiatives, particularly for European customers with strict data residency requirements.Product Leadership at Ecosystem ScaleAs a product leader, Masooma plays a critical role in translating customer and partner needs into platform-level capabilities that can scale globally.“We want to build for scale. We don’t want to do a lot of custom work.”That philosophy mirrors AWS’s own approach and helps explain why the partnership continues to deepen.Final TakeawayThis conversation is a clear reminder that successful AI strategies are no longer about experimentation alone. They are about operationalizing intelligence, embedding it into platforms, and enabling partners to deliver measurable outcomes at scale.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 130+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

AWS re:Invent has increasingly become a signal for where enterprise technology is actually headed, not just what’s being promised. In this conversation from the show floor in Las Vegas, Pankaj Kumar, Global VP of Strategic Alliances and Head of the AWS Business Group at Kyndryl, shared a grounded perspective on what it really takes to move agentic AI from pilot projects into real production environments.Rather than focusing on abstract AI potential, the discussion centered on execution, data gravity, and the operational realities faced by Global 2000 enterprises.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Why So Many AI Pilots StallOne of the core challenges Pankaj highlighted is something many partner leaders are seeing first-hand: an explosion of pilots with very little follow-through.“There’s a lot of money being poured into agentic AI that start with the pilot, but a very small percentage of those pilot projects actually see ROI in terms of real world executable projects.”The issue isn’t lack of tooling or ambition. It’s that most pilots don’t connect deeply enough to the systems that actually run the business. Without access to mission-critical environments and operational data, pilots remain isolated experiments.The Role of Mission-Critical SystemsKyndryl’s position in the market is unusual. The company manages complex, long-running systems for a majority of Fortune 100 enterprises, including a significant portion of the world’s managed mainframe environments.“We manage more than two to three decades of mission-critical systems for our customers. I think we have access to data which very few in the industry have.”That access becomes the foundation for making agentic AI useful. Instead of training agents on abstract datasets, Kyndryl works directly with the operational knowledge embedded in real systems, workflows, and infrastructure.The Enhanced Agentic AI FrameworkAt re:Invent, Kyndryl highlighted its enhanced agentic AI framework, which combines several layers:* Deep operational knowledge from managed services* Proprietary platforms like Kyndryl Bridge with billions of data points* Agent builders developed by Kyndryl* Native integration with AWS services“That repository of knowledge that we have is the critical fuel that you require to make an agent AI project successful.”This approach is not positioned as a one-size-fits-all product. Instead, the framework is designed to be customized by region, industry, and customer maturity.From Assessment to ExecutionAnother theme that surfaced repeatedly was execution discipline. Kyndryl works across the entire transformation lifecycle, from assessment and migration to modernization and operations.“We are able to translate those pilot projects into real world executable projects.”That translation is reflected in business outcomes. According to Pankaj, a meaningful portion of recent Kyndryl signings already include an agentic AI component, suggesting that customers are moving beyond experimentation.AWS as a Strategic GTM PartnerThe conversation also explored the depth of the AWS partnership. Kyndryl has aligned its go-to-market motion with how AWS now sells by industry rather than horizontal services.“Our sales motion and our collaboration with AWS is in tune with how AWS is going to the market, what solutions they are taking to the market.”This includes co-sell engagement across financial services, insurance, healthcare, automotive, and the public sector, where Kyndryl was a finalist for multiple AWS Partner of the Year awards.Industry-Specific Execution MattersOne insight particularly relevant for partner leaders is the emphasis on regional and industry focus.“Something that works in Japan could not be the same thing that we take to continental Europe or Australia.”Rather than forcing global uniformity, Kyndryl and AWS customize plays based on local regulations, market maturity, and customer expectations, especially in regulated industries and sovereign cloud environments.Consulting as a Growth EngineSince spinning out as an independent company, Kyndryl has invested heavily in consulting capabilities to complement its managed services heritage.“Our consult business is more than $3 billion, growing at about 35 to 40% year on year.”That consulting layer allows Kyndryl to engage earlier in transformation conversations and stay involved through execution, which is essential for agentic AI initiatives that cut across infrastructure, data, and operations.A Grounded View of What Comes NextRather than framing agentic AI as a sudden revolution, Pankaj described it as an evolution that depends on execution maturity.“This would be something where Kyndryl fills a gap in the market.”For partner leaders, the takeaway is clear: success in the agentic AI era will depend less on novelty and more on operational credibility, trusted data access, and tight collaboration with hyperscalers.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 130+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

Leading Through Supply Chain TransformationKelley Lear stepped into her role as CVP and GM, Global Alliances for Blue Yonder just four months ago, and she arrived at Microsoft Ignite with major momentum behind her team’s work. Fresh off winning Microsoft’s Global ISV Partner of the Year award, Blue Yonder is doubling down on AI innovation, ecosystem collaboration, and a platform vision designed to transform supply chains end to end.“Ultimately we need to partner not just to partner so that we get an award. It’s really what is the value that we’re bringing to the customer.”From keynotes to side conversations with SIs and product leaders, Kelley emphasized that supply chain complexity demands deep partner expertise, global reach, and joint innovation. Blue Yonder now works with more than 300 partners - spanning tech vendors, hyperscalers, global SIs, and boutique regional firms.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Why Supply Chain Needs a Connected EcosystemKelley shared that Blue Yonder is the only platform with AI embedded across the full supply chain - from planning to execution to returns. That end-to-end view has become essential as supply chains face disruptions from geopolitics, tariffs, weather, social pressures, and demand volatility.“You need complete visibility to the supply chain and the ability to plan and pivot and incorporate all the data you need to make good decisions quickly.”The partner ecosystem is central to delivering this vision. Strategic systems integrators like Accenture, Deloitte, PwC, EY, and specialized regional partners provide decades of experience within specific verticals and customer environments. Their understanding of systems, workflows, and C-suite priorities allows Blue Yonder’s platform to land with higher adoption and faster value realization.Mapping the Right Partners to the Right CustomersGiven the scale and complexity of a 300-partner ecosystem, Kelley described the importance of careful alignment between field teams, industry specialists, and partners. Blue Yonder has an industry advisory team that matches the right partner - by region, vertical, subvertical, and product expertise - to each opportunity.The company is also launching a new agentic AI partner scorecard, which allows sales and alliance teams to ask natural-language questions about partner capabilities.“We’re looking at things like how many accredited personnel they have, in which regions, on which products, customer sat scores, and project expertise.”The goal is not to rank partners for competition but to help internal teams and customers find the best match for each scenario.Scaling the Long Tail with Modern Partner MarketingKelley also highlighted the importance of supporting the “long tail” of smaller partners who may not have dedicated alliance managers. Blue Yonder is rolling out scalable partner programs including updated portal content, channel calls, toolkits, and campaigns-in-a-box.“We’re getting a little more sophisticated with really professional marketing toolkits instead of just saying - you could spin up a webinar and use our name.”As Blue Yonder expands its new Azure-based platform - with deep Snowflake integration and advanced AI - the company is also ramping up global enablement to help partners stay ahead of the rapid innovation curve.Co-Innovation with Microsoft and a Shared Future VisionBlue Yonder’s Global ISV Partner of the Year recognition reflects a rapidly strengthening relationship with Microsoft. Kelley noted that the two teams are deeply aligned across co-innovation, product development, co-marketing, and field co-sell motions.“We’re collaborating with Microsoft on incorporating our AI into our product mix, and also on how others can build agents onto our platform.”Beyond technology, the joint marketing and field alignment efforts are helping both teams articulate their “better together” story - including scalability, time to value, and end-to-end security.What Comes Next for Supply Chain LeadersKelley closed with a reminder that global supply chains are under more pressure than ever - and that only an integrated ecosystem can help companies respond in real time.“We want to disrupt the market and really transform supply chain end to end.”With AI advancing rapidly, Microsoft partnership momentum building, and a global partner network evolving around industry expertise, Blue Yonder is positioning itself as a leader in the next era of intelligent, adaptive, resilient supply chains.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

Introduction: A Moment of AccelerationThe pace of change has become the defining characteristic of the AI era. As Marc Monday puts it, quoting Bill McDermott, “The pace of change has never been this fast and it’ll never be this slow again.” And inside ServiceNow’s rapidly expanding partner ecosystem, that accelerating change is creating unprecedented opportunity for partners.In this episode, I spoke with Marc Monday, GVP of Americas Partnerships & Channels at ServiceNow. Marc and I dive into how ServiceNow is approaching AI, why partners remain essential, and why orchestration - not infrastructure - is becoming the most critical layer in the enterprise tech stack.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.The Partner Role in an Agentic WorldServiceNow’s AI strategy is focused on meeting customers where they are. That means working with the infrastructure, data, and applications they already have - not forcing costly rip-and-replace motions.Marc emphasizes that this is exactly where partners shine.“Partners bring a deep level of specialization in customer understanding, and partners know how to move fast and meet the market where it is.”ServiceNow has five partner routes to market - consulting and implementation, resellers, service providers, hyperscaler co-selling, and tech/build partners. Increasingly, partners combine multiple motions, creating IP, offering managed services, and developing apps.Marc’s view is simple: focus on outcomes, not taxonomy.“If we fall into that legacy taxonomy, sometimes it hamstrings what the partner is providing.”Workflow Orchestration as the New Control TowerOne of the big ideas Marc shares is the rise of the orchestration layer - the system that coordinates agents across the enterprise.ServiceNow sits across the data layer, application layer, and now agentic workflows, giving it a unique ability to coordinate how work actually gets done.“At the end of the day, it’s about workflow orchestration and what that control tower is going to look like.”This orchestration layer determines which agent acts first, what data it accesses, and how steps flow across systems. It’s the enterprise equivalent of air traffic control.Real Value: Pragmatic AI, Not Whiz-Bang DemosMarc shares an important reminder - the most meaningful AI value often comes from eliminating the everyday “administrivia.”“If you talk to a user, they can tell you right away… This is the administrivia that just takes the air out of my day.”Partners play a crucial role in discovering these real-world use cases, mapping processes, and turning small but painful inefficiencies into major productivity improvements.Where the Opportunities Are EmergingServiceNow is seeing strong opportunity across four primary areas:1. Autonomous ITHardware management, IT service delivery, systems improvement.2. SecurityAI is increasing both complexity and opportunity across the security surface.3. CRM and Customer ExperienceExtending ServiceNow’s strong CSM foundation.4. Cross-Application InteroperabilityWhere agents, workflows, and orchestration combine.Throughout all of these, partners act as the translators connecting enterprise reality with AI-enabled execution.Co-Sell: It Depends - Because It MustWhen I asked Marc about co-sell motions, his answer was delightfully honest:“It depends. It really does depend what is the customer’s expectation.”ServiceNow supports store listings, deal registration, partner-led opportunities, and multi-party co-sell with hyperscalers. Marc’s team brings together the right partner and the right opportunity at the right time.The Road AheadMarc’s final insight was about trust and flexibility - two things customers need most right now.“Customers need flexibility. Customers need partners that can meet them where they are.”As AI accelerates, orchestration becomes more important, partners become more essential, and the opportunities multiply.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

Few leaders in the industry understand ecosystem transformation like Gretchen O’Hara, the longtime Microsoft executive, former Splunk channel leader, and now Executive Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Business Development at Sage. In this episode, Gretchen shares her early impressions of Sage, why she joined, and how she sees AI reshaping partner opportunity across the world.This conversation offers an inside look at the major announcements coming out of Sage Future for Partners in Barcelona - including Sage’s new Finance Intelligence Agent, next generation Sage X3 Cloud, and Sage AI Developer Solutions built with AWS Bedrock.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Why Gretchen Joined SageGretchen has spent her career building partner ecosystems at massive scale. Yet she says Sage had something unique - a deep, community-driven network of partners rooted in finance, accounting, and operational systems.One quote from the transcript captured her motivation perfectly:“I always had an eye on Sage… I was really envious of what Sage had in terms of that deep partner commitment and this inherent community that has rallied around Sage.”She also saw something else: the finance function as one of the first places where AI will deliver real, practical value.“I knew that AI is gonna have very practical impact… and I think this is where you’re gonna see a lot of this in full production first.”Sage’s 40 years of financial data, combined with its cloud first and AI first ambitions, made the move compelling.A Complex and Growing EcosystemSage works with a uniquely diverse partner mix: global SIs, accounting firms, MSPs, ISVs, VARs, and developers.“There’s not one type of partner that Sage works with… we have SIs, advisors, accounting consultants, ISVs, VARs, MSPs - all building capabilities in this new cloud and AI world.”For Gretchen, the opportunity is to unify and accelerate this ecosystem - not just through programs and incentives, but through AI driven capabilities that help partners differentiate and grow.Inside Sage Future for Partners: AI Takes Center StageJust a few weeks into the job, Gretchen was dropped straight into Sage’s global partner event in Barcelona. And Sage delivered several major announcements that will shape partner strategy for years to come.1. Sage AI Developer Solutions (built with AWS Bedrock)This initiative lets partners build and deploy certified AI agents and workflows directly within Sage Copilot.“We announced the Sage AI for Developers program… leveraging AWS Agentic AI Marketplace to speed partners’ ability to build AI agents embedded right into Sage.”For partners, this means new revenue streams, faster innovation, and a clear place to bet in the agentic AI era.2. Finance Intelligence AgentSage also revealed its flagship AI Agent for CFOs and finance teams - prebuilt, trusted, and immediately usable.“We announced one of our own agents, the Finance Intelligence Agent… so partners can provide instant value without having to build anything themselves.”This agent connects Sage’s Close, AP, Assurance, and Time agents, creating a unified intelligence layer for finance operations.3. Sage X3 CloudA next generation cloud deployment of Sage’s manufacturing and operations platform.“We recommitted to our partner ecosystem that X3 is a big bet for Sage… partners were extremely excited about the deeper industry strategy.”Across these announcements, a consistent theme emerged: industry depth + AI agents + partner led innovation.Partner Profitability, Enablement, and Co InnovationGretchen emphasized that partner success is not just about revenue - it is about making sure Sage partners are able to build and manage profitable, sustainable business models when working with Sage.“If you can’t have a profitable practice, then you start looking somewhere else… and I want all my partners to stay with Sage.”Sage’s strategy includes:* Helping partners build recurring ARR based businesses* Reducing implementation time with cloud and AI* Supporting partners as they expand into adjacent practices* Deepening technical and business enablementAnd importantly, Gretchen sees co innovation as central.“We want to co innovate with our partners… bring more value together to our mutual customers.”Measuring Success: Shared OutcomesWhen asked how Sage measures partner success, Gretchen cited:* Growth and co sell wins* Marketplace innovation* Partner IP* Expansion into new markets* Customer success metrics* Capacity and delivery strengthBut measurement itself is evolving, especially as influence, indirect impact, and AI driven services become more important.The Road AheadGretchen closed with a call for partners to prepare for the AI empowered future, balancing today’s opportunities with tomorrow’s shifts.“Have one step in the future so that as the market shifts, you’re there with us to support that long term.”This episode is essential listening for partners, ISVs, SIs, accountants, and anyone watching how AI is reshaping the finance and ERP ecosystem.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

Scaling a Modern Partnership Function at EpsilonAt AWS re:Invent, I had the opportunity to chat with Chandos Quill, Senior Vice President of Channels and Alliances at Epsilon, for a rich discussion about building a partnership discipline inside a global data and marketing technology organization. Chandos brings deep experience across data, ad tech, and marketing platforms - and her work at Epsilon demonstrates how a focused, disciplined approach to alliances can unlock entirely new routes to market.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Who Epsilon Serves and Why Partners MatterChandos began with a quick overview of Epsilon’s role within Publicis Groupe. Epsilon is the data, technology, and services arm that helps brands acquire customers and deepen relationships with existing ones. As she put it, the mission is simple - bring data driven solutions to marketers that drive meaningful outcomes.But the real story comes through the evolving role of partners. Infrastructure providers, Martech platforms, ad tech channels, and specialized point solutions all play a part.“What we’ve tried to do is within each of those categories of partners, we focus on the most important thing that Epsilon can bring to add value on top of the partners’ technology or products.”Building a Partnership Function from the Ground UpWhen Chandos joined Epsilon a year and a half ago, partnerships existed only in pockets across the business - organic, siloed, and ad hoc. Her charter was to build a centralized function that aligned tightly with corporate direction and product strategy.“We had a few pockets of people doing partnerships, but we didn’t have a centralized partnership function.”The first year focused on talent assessment, team formation, defining strategy, and building foundational systems - including tracking, measurement, and aligning the field around partner value.Quality Over QuantityEpsilon works across several categories of partners - infrastructure players like AWS and Databricks, technology platforms like Adobe and Salesforce, ad tech channels, and point solution integrations. But Chandos emphasizes disciplined focus.“My message to all of our partners is we’re leaning in on the ones that really matter and continuing to grow and scale those versus signing up 20 or 30 new ones.”With finite resources and a mandate to prove value, prioritization is essential. The goal is not breadth - it’s depth.A Breakthrough Moment with AWS MarketplaceA major milestone came recently when Epsilon transacted its first large deal through AWS Marketplace. The impact was immediate - seller excitement, internal visibility, and growing alignment with AWS.“We actually closed an extremely large deal through the Marketplace… and it’s gotten the attention of our sales people.”This opens new opportunities for Epsilon sellers accustomed to working with Marketing and Line of Business buyers, as AWS provides access to IT and procurement relationships that accelerate deal velocity.Enabling Sellers for a New GTM MotionFor many sellers, partnering with AWS requires a shift in mindset. They now have the opportunity to jointly navigate enterprise accounts from two different entry points - Marketing and IT.“Some of our sellers are kind of newer to that idea of how you can use an AWS partner to help us get those relationships with IT, get those relationships with procurement, get our deals through faster.”Much of Chandos’s 2026 agenda centers on sales enablement - making these motions repeatable, predictable, and valuable for both sides.Data Privacy and the Future of Clean RoomsAs a global data provider, Epsilon is deeply invested in privacy, compliance, and responsible data stewardship. This extends to partnerships as well.Chandos noted that clean rooms are becoming increasingly important as brands seek to collaborate on data without exposing sensitive information. Epsilon is integrating its clean room technology with infrastructure partners to support enterprise scale use cases.AI, Personalization, and One to One MarketingAI’s role is expanding rapidly across Publicis and Epsilon. Chandos described a future where AI helps marketers achieve the long sought ideal of true one to one engagement.AI will shape everything from audience creation, to content personalization, to cross channel orchestration. And partners play a massive role in aligning the technical stack and data foundation needed for that future.The Road AheadChandos is clear that the partnership journey at Epsilon is still early. The foundation is built, the internal momentum is growing, and the first Marketplace wins are creating confidence.Her focus now is steady growth, demonstrable value, and scaling the GTM with partners that matter.This is the type of transformation that reshapes how a company goes to market - and Chandos is right in the middle of it.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

Jessica Alexander spent nearly nine years at CrowdStrike, architecting one of the most successful AWS partnerships in the software ecosystem - a relationship that has driven more than $2B in marketplace transactions.Jessica is now Founder and CEO of Skematic, where she’s encapsulating those learnings into an AI-powered platform designed to help ISVs navigate AWS programs, messaging, alignment, and execution far earlier and far more effectively than most can today.It is rare to hear this level of clarity about what truly makes an AWS partnership work. Jessica lived it. And now she is scaling it.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.The Early Days at CrowdStrike - And Why Marketplace Was HardWhen Jessica arrived in 2016, CrowdStrike was already a strong product - but its AWS motion was immature. They saw an opportunity to partner deeper with AWS, both to differentiate and to build a 360 relationship that included buy-from, sell-with, and sell-through motions.“We initially launched our marketplace listing and thought there’s gonna be a whole bunch of people who are gonna show up. And nobody showed up.”This is the moment almost every ISV experiences. Marketplace is not magic. It is a multi-year internal and external enablement effort.CrowdStrike learned that success required educating customers on how to take advantage of AWS EDP (Enterprise Discount Program) funds, influencing AWS sellers, and aligning internal teams that had never collaborated this way before.“It was a five year journey to develop that flywheel of how do we do private offers, how do we scale marketplace transactions.”That flywheel eventually became legendary - but only because the company invested deeply in internal alignment.Why Internal Alignment Is the Real Secret to AWS SuccessJessica emphasized repeatedly that AWS partnership success is not just an alliance-led motion.It is organizational.“We think of partnerships as who we partner with externally, but the key to success is how you partner internally.”At CrowdStrike, she created a global specialist team that “spoke AWS,” navigated EDP ownership, trained the sales organization, and partnered closely with product, finance, and marketing.One of her biggest internal allies might surprise people:“One of my early allies internally was our finance team because they saw how fast marketplace transactions reduced our daily sales outstanding.”This internal partnership became one of the catalysts that helped CrowdStrike scale its marketplace motion faster than nearly anyone else in the industry.Why Skematic ExistsAfter advising many startups, Jessica saw the same repeated pattern:ISVs want to partner with AWS. But they do not know:• When they are ready• What programs apply to them• How to build their messaging• Who internally needs alignment• What AWS expects• Or how to operationalize the entire motionSo she built Skematic to solve this.“We’re hoping to simplify this with Skematic and help ISVs navigate the process a lot faster, a lot earlier, with fewer resources.”Skematic is an AI platform that generates partnership pathways, creates better together stories, aligns executive teams, and provides prescriptive, personalized recommendations based on where an ISV is in their AWS journey.It also includes coaching for the first three months to ensure companies set the right strategy and internal structure.“The goal is for the platform to be prescriptive and personalized - contextually aware of where the ISV is and how to market to their AWS customer.”And it is built entirely on AWS using Bedrock and Claude Sonnet.Scaling What Used to Require Full-Day WorkshopsJessica compares Skematic directly to the workshops historically run by AWS partner leaders.“We want to make this programmatic and accessible to more people. Jen [Dawson] was one person. I’m one person. How do we scale this across thousands of software companies?”This is where Skematic becomes transformational - taking the manual, human bottlenecks of cloud GTM and turning them into intelligent automation.Founding a Company After Years of Partnership LeadershipJessica describes founding Skematic as the most energizing step of her career.“You jump out of the airplane and realize you don’t have a parachute - but then you realize there’s no bottom. I’m doing what I love doing.”The reception from AWS has been strong. AWS sees Skematic as a capacity multiplier: helping more ISVs become partner ready, program eligible, and marketplace capable earlier in their lifecycle.What’s Next for SkematicSkematic is continuing to evolve with deeper AWS integrations, more automated workflows, portfolio-level insights for investors and accelerators, and expanded guidance mapped directly to AWS programs.And this is only the beginning.Startups today want to grow the way CrowdStrike did.Skematic is giving them the roadmap Jessica spent nearly a decade building out.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

At AWS re:Invent, I had the opportunity to sit down with Rick McConnell, CEO of Dynatrace, for a conversation that touched on observability, AI, partner ecosystems, and what it takes to build software that “just works” at global scale.Rick has led multiple high growth businesses throughout his career, and Dynatrace is no exception. But what stood out most in our discussion was the clarity of his vision for where the world is heading - and why observability is at the center of it.In Rick’s words:“Our vision is to help large organizations deliver software that works perfectly.”For Rick, this isn’t just an aspiration. It is becoming a requirement in a world where consumers expect flawless digital experiences every time they tap a screen, transfer money, book a flight, or check a bag.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Cloud Scale, Data Explosion, and the End of Manual OperationsRick explained that cloud growth and AI adoption are fundamentally changing the nature of operating software environments. According to him, the sheer complexity of modern cloud systems has made manual management impossible.“It is rendering the ability to run software environments manually simply impossible.”Organizations can no longer rely on traditional network operations centers scanning dashboards for “the needle in the haystack.” Instead, AI powered observability must guide every stage of detection, triage, and remediation.With AI development accelerating the creation of new software loads and generating even more data, Rick says the challenge intensifies:“Now you’re developing software loads even more rapidly, you’ve got even more data - further data explosion.”This is why he sees observability not as an optional IT investment, but as critical infrastructure.The Emergence of Agentic, Autonomous OperationsOne of the most compelling parts of our conversation was Rick’s view of where observability is heading next. He believes we are entering an era of agentic, autonomous operations where large categories of incidents will be auto prevented, auto optimized, or auto remediated.“A reasonable percentage of incidents can be avoided completely through agentic AI.”Rick used a simple but powerful example. If Dynatrace detects that a cloud environment is about to run out of storage, why should a human intervene?An agent should automatically handle it - provisioning new storage, notifying the right teams, and preventing customer impact before it ever occurs.This is where observability becomes the connective tissue for an entire ecosystem of agents working together across platforms like AWS, ServiceNow, Atlassian, GitHub, and even Nvidia.Why Trustworthy Data MattersRick emphasized that autonomy is only as good as the data behind it.“If you can’t rely on the underlying answer, then the action that would be taken autonomously is not the right action.”And this is where Dynatrace differentiates itself. Trustworthy, precise data is required for any AI agent to take action confidently. The partnership between Dynatrace and AWS, including the new Bedrock integration, is designed to enable organizations to build these agentic systems safely.Partner Ecosystem as a Growth EngineRick’s commitment to partnerships is unmistakable. He shared that more than 80 percent of Dynatrace’s deals are now partner influenced or partner sourced.“More than 80 percent of our deals go through partners.”AWS is central to this. Dynatrace runs on AWS infrastructure, co sells with AWS teams, and continues to expand integrations that bring observability directly into customers’ AI and cloud modernization initiatives.But GSIs and ISVs also play a major role, especially as customers look for end to end interoperability across the modern software ecosystem.Why This Matters to Partner LeadersFor those working in the partner ecosystem, Rick’s message is clear:The future belongs to platforms that work together.The value flows to organizations that can interoperate across AI, cloud, and observability layers.And autonomous operations will require coordinated action across multiple partner solutions.Rick summed it up simply:“It really isn’t just about observability anymore. It is about an end-to-end ecosystem of software that works well together.”For partner leaders helping customers navigate AI, digital transformation, and cloud modernization, this episode offers a blueprint for where the market is heading - and how collaboration multiplies value.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

At AWS re:Invent this week, AppDirect and Tackle.io made a major announcement in the “partner tech” world: AppDirect is acquiring Tackle to extend AppDirect’s $1billion marketplace business into cloud marketplaces. I had a chance to catch up with John Jahnke, CEO of Tackle, and Emanuel “Bert” Bertolin, CRO of AppDirect to dive into some details about the acquisition and how they see it impacting the broader market for ISVs, distribution, marketplaces, and cloud GTM. The announcement created some big buzz in the cloud GTM and partner technology market. Both leaders shared why this combination matters and how it could change the distribution landscape for thousands of ISVs.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Why AppDirect Acquired TackleAppDirect has spent 15 years building a subscription commerce and marketplace platform serving telecom providers, global enterprises, and a fast-growing advisor community. As Bert explained, the long-term vision has been a single integration that gives an ISV access to all AppDirect marketplaces.“Our vision was always to have a catalog that once you integrate it in, you could access all of the AppDirect marketplaces.”The rise of hyperscaler marketplaces made this vision even more important. ISVs today face expanding distribution choices - should they build their own marketplace, lean into hyperscalers, or pursue channel marketplaces?AppDirect’s answer is simple: you should not have to choose.“Do I have my own marketplace? Do I go onto the hyperscaler marketplaces? Our answer is both.”Adding Tackle expands AppDirect’s reach into cloud marketplaces, where Tackle has been a leading platform for ISV listing, co-sell, and transacting motions.Tackle’s Perspective: Unifying Marketplaces and Expanding PossibilitiesFor Tackle, the announcement capped off what John described as an already massive re:Invent week.“Taking our biggest event of the year and adding an acquisition on top was like gas on the fire.”Tackle has always been focused on helping ISVs sell more and sell faster through cloud marketplaces. As they evaluated AppDirect earlier in the year, the scale of AppDirect’s reach - including 400+ marketplaces - immediately stood out.“We’ve always been exploring a lot of marketplaces to see what’s going on… and we didn’t really know at first that AppDirect powers 400 marketplaces.”Both teams quickly saw the potential of connecting Tackle’s hyperscaler expertise with AppDirect’s catalog, advisor network, and global distribution footprint.Expanding Distribution for ISVsOne of the biggest themes in the conversation was how this merger expands distribution opportunities for ISVs. AppDirect brings a marketplace platform used by telcos, enterprises, and 14,000 technology advisors.“We also operate a marketplace where we have 14,000 technology advisors that buy and draw services from there.”These advisors function as MSPs, consulting shops, and technology brokers who can sell through referral or resell motions - creating valuable long-tail distribution.AppDirect also works with about 1,000 providers, ranging from SaaS ISVs to telecom and even energy suppliers in deregulated states. That means ISVs who integrate through Tackle or AppDirect could theoretically reach:* Hyperscaler marketplaces* Hundreds of enterprise and telco marketplaces* A large advisor community* Additional commerce channels across hardware, services, and energyThis combination gives ISVs a single integration with multiple distribution paths.Creating a Unified Cloud GTM EngineBoth leaders emphasized that nothing changes for Tackle customers. Instead, the merger adds new paths to revenue.“Nothing changes for Tackle customers. We’re going to continue to stay laser focused on innovating with the hyperscalers.”New opportunities include:* Deeper integration with AWS, including Buy with AWS* A “Tackle plugin” to power hyperscaler access for AppDirect marketplaces* Unified onboarding for ISVs across multiple distribution channels* Connecting ISVs with AppDirect’s advisor-driven demand engineJohn summed up what this means for Tackle customers:“There’s a lot to help people sell more.”Why This Matters for Buyers and SellersAs procurement becomes more complex, companies are seeking simpler ways to manage software, telecom, energy, hardware, and cloud spend. AppDirect’s goal is to make procurement easier through unified catalogs and consolidated purchasing.“We’re looking at how do we simplify procurement and how can you get a lot of products on one bill, one MSA, a simple procurement process.”Meanwhile, product-led growth and AI-driven discovery are reshaping how customers find and adopt software. John highlighted how this trend ties directly to marketplace innovation.“AI is forcing every company to rethink their business model for product-led growth.”Together, the two companies plan to address not only enterprise private offers but also user-led discovery and frictionless purchasing motions.The Road AheadBoth Tackle and AppDirect acknowledge there is a lot of integration work to do. But they also emphasized how aligned their visions are.For ISVs, the promise is clear: more distribution, more channels, more buyers, and fewer integration points.For channel partners and advisors, the opportunity expands from cloud marketplaces into a wider commerce ecosystem with more ways to generate demand and revenue.And for enterprises, procurement gets simpler.This merger positions both companies to redefine cloud GTM and marketplace-driven growth - and judging by their enthusiasm at re:Invent, they are only getting started.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

In this episode of Inside Partnering, I sat down with Sanjay Bhakta, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Condé Nast, live from AWS re:Invent. Sanjay leads all product, engineering, data, and enterprise technology across one of the world’s most iconic media companies. His team builds and operates the platforms behind brands like Vogue, The New Yorker, GQ, Vanity Fair, Wired, and more.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Condé Nast is 115 years old, yet its technology transformation over the past few years has been nothing short of remarkable. When Sanjay arrived, the organization operated across 13 separate markets, each with its own tech stack, CMS, processes, and infrastructure. His mandate: unify the company under a modern, global platform that accelerates content creation, improves customer experience, and enables sustainable innovation.“When I started we used to operate as 13 separate markets, each with its own tech stack. The goal was really to bring everything together into one global consolidated platform.”A Unified Global Platform Built on AWSThe move to AWS was a strategic step in simplifying and accelerating engineering, infrastructure, and content delivery. It also brought major operational benefits.“Moving to public cloud and getting out of the multiple data centers we had has helped drive a lot of cost out from an infrastructure standpoint. And it allows us to innovate faster and scale quickly.”The company now deploys features globally with unprecedented efficiency. A change built once can be rolled out across brands and regions nearly instantly.Sanjay emphasized that AWS Marketplace has become an important accelerant for onboarding tools and vendors.“It makes it really easy to onboard a partner when you’re going through the Marketplace. AWS stands behind it and it helps us get things out to market fast.”This model also supports Condé Nast’s committed cloud spend and ensures tighter integration across the tech stack.AI for Both Internal Efficiency and Consumer ExperienceSanjay’s team began their AI journey focusing on internal use cases in engineering, DevOps, QA, rights management, and content workflows.Today leveraging AWS Bedrock, AI supports coding, testing, deployments, contracts processing, and internal automation.Externally, AI enhances personalization, recommendations, pricing, newsletters, segmentation, and more.“We are doing both. Early days we focused a lot on internal use cases. We use AI extensively for code generation, testing, deployment, and many internal workflows.”A standout example is their new contracts and rights clearance system.“It used to take us weeks to clear rights for a particular asset. Now that all the contracts are in the system, it’s almost instantaneous.”And on the consumer side, innovation is accelerating quickly.Condé Nast partnered with OpenAI to launch a natural language powered smart recipe tool for Bon Appétit, enabling dynamic customization and dietary adjustments.They also launched AI powered image search for Vogue, enabling access to tens of millions of runway images through natural language search.Brand Identity at ScaleUnifying platforms does not mean standardizing brand expression. Each iconic Condé Nast brand maintains its own voice, identity, and aesthetic.Sanjay described a delicate balance: build globally reusable capabilities while ensuring each brand’s unique personality shines through.“Brand expression has been crucial. We want each brand to express themselves with their own voice and look and feel. We build reusable capabilities, but brand expression has to be unique.”This approach allows the company to innovate globally while preserving the creative integrity of world renowned editorial teams.Harnessing the Power of Data and Generative AIA major next step for Condé Nast is vectorizing its vast content archives across tens of millions of images, decades of articles, and deep editorial metadata.This will open new monetization opportunities and enable real time LLM powered retrieval at scale.“Our next challenge is to vectorize all of the content we have - tens of millions of images - and make it easily accessible for LLMs in real time.”From editorial workflows to customer applications, generative AI is now central to the future roadmap.A Team Powered by Purpose and InnovationSanjay closed by underscoring the strength of his technology organization and the collective mission ahead.“I’m very blessed to have a fantastic team. All the credit goes to them. We are hyperfocused on what we can do next.”Condé Nast’s transformation story is a powerful example of how a heritage brand can reinvent itself through platform consolidation, cloud scale, and AI driven acceleration.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

Few leaders sit at the intersection of product, engineering, and hyperscaler partnership the way Deepak Arora does. As Global CTO for AWS Solutions and Head of Engineering for the MENA region at Publicis Sapient, Deepak brings a perspective that blends co-building with AWS, co-selling with field teams, and delivering AI-powered outcomes to customers on the ground. This conversation took place live at AWS re:Invent.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Who Publicis Sapient Is in the AWS EcosystemDeepak opens by grounding the discussion in the broader mission of Publicis Sapient.“We are a products and consulting company focused on digital business transformation for our customers.”Their partnership with AWS is deep and expanding.“We are the premier partner for AWS… and we have around 15 solutions on AWS Marketplace, and majority of these are backed by AI and data.”That positioning sets up the kind of co-development work his team leads globally.Co-Build, Co-Market, Co-Sell - The Full CycleDeepak breaks partnering into a full lifecycle, starting with co-build.“We work with AWS solution architects and leads, and think about what kind of technologies and solutions we need to take to our customers.”Solutions begin as horizontal capabilities but quickly take on industry-specific expression. Publicis Sapient blends AWS native services, open-source technologies, and their own platforms such as Slingshot and Bothi.Once a solution clears AWS vetting, the teams shift toward joint GTM motions.“There is a heavy part of co build and then there is a co-market side of the things… and then obviously there is a co-sell part.”The co-sell alignment is increasingly industry-driven, mirroring AWS’ organizational structure.Why Delivery Experience Matters in a CTO RoleOne of the most compelling aspects of Deepak’s perspective is that he doesn’t just build solutions - he oversees delivery across the MENA region.“In that role, I get to learn what is working on production… and then feed that back into the solution thinking.”This creates a rare feedback loop: real-world outcomes inform product strategy, which then feeds back into new offerings and accelerators.Horizontal Platforms With Industry DepthTwo flagship platforms anchor Publicis Sapient’s AI product strategy:Slingshot – AI SDLC and Modernization Platform“Slingshot brings efficiencies of 50 to 60% in time to market and productivity across the SDLC.”It supports everything from requirements to design, development, launch, and production operations. Slingshot integrates directly with AWS capabilities, including Bedrock, application modernization tooling, and the broader AI ecosystem.Bothi – Enterprise Agentic Platform“Bothi is an enterprise agentic platform that facilitates agent creation on AWS.”It provides horizontal agentic capabilities, which Publicis Sapient molds into vertical use cases across travel, banking, retail, and more.Dealer GPT and Other Industry Solutions“We have a solution called Dealer GPT, which optimizes sales and operations for automotive clients.”This blend of horizontal and vertical accelerators is shaping their push toward being a people plus product company.Becoming a Product-Led SIDeepak described a major shift underway.“We are transitioning from just a consulting based organization to a people plus product organization.”This evolution positions Publicis Sapient differently in the AWS ecosystem - not just implementing AI, but creating foundational platforms that enhance AWS’ own offerings.Using AWS Announcements to Accelerate CustomersDeepak emphasizes AWS’ complementary capabilities rather than overlap.“We work backwards from customer outcome… and come up with a complementary set of offerings.”For example, Slingshot integrates with AWS’ Transform modernization program to create a holistic modernization + migration story.Marketplace as the Front Door for ProductizationPublicis Sapient has long used the AWS Marketplace for solution accelerators, but re:Invent 2024 marks a turning point.“We are seeing a transition into more product and activation play… it should be bought, purchased, and provisioned from the Marketplace.”This creates an end-to-end experience AWS field teams can champion.“It makes it easy for our customers, makes it easy for AWS, and makes it easy for ourselves as well.”This shift also unlocks transactable listings, quota retirement, and pre-commit drawdowns.What’s Next for Publicis Sapient and AWSA big focus now is enabling SaaS-like provisioning of PS products through Marketplace.“If a customer is interested in a SaaS offering of our products, it should be bought, provisioned, and set up at a click of a button.”From co-build to co-sell to co-deliver, Deepak’s team is building a model that scales globally while staying connected to real customer needs.Closing ThoughtsThis conversation highlights a truth about modern ecosystem partnerships: the most powerful alliances are built by teams that combine product mindset, engineering discipline, and shared accountability for customer outcomes.Publicis Sapient and AWS are moving in that direction quickly - and Deepak Arora sits at the center of it.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

AWS re:Invent is always buzzing with energy, but this year’s conversations feel different. AI is no longer a concept - it is a driver reshaping the way partners build, modernize, migrate, and deliver solutions for customers on AWS. Few people sit closer to this transformation than Rohan Karmarkar, Managing Director for Partner Solutions Architecture at AWS.In this episode, Rohan breaks down how partners are accelerating modernization, how AI is reducing complexity, and why co-engineering between AWS and partners is entering a new era.Modernization Is Accelerating - Not Slowing DownFor years, customers approached modernization slowly, often choosing lift and shift of their old applications because deeper transformation was risky and unpredictable. According to Rohan, that era is over.“Modernization’s going to be accelerated. Partners are building those capabilities and there are many customers who are like, I don’t want to just migrate as is.”AI-enabled tools inside AWS - including AWS Transform, Kiro, and Agent Core - are changing the economics of modernization. Refactoring, testing, and code transformation are no longer entirely manual, expensive, or slow.“There are so many aspects of the modernization journey that are now going to be faster, more predictable, more secure.”This trend is creating a market-wide shift. Customers are no longer asking whether they should modernize - they are asking how fast they can do it.AI Is Not Separate from Modernization - It Drives ItOne of the biggest insights from Rohan is that AI sits at the center of modernization, not beside it.“AI is the driver for modernization in many cases.”While partners use AI to accelerate code migration and testing, they are also embedding AI into the very applications being modernized. The transformation becomes a loop - AI speeds up modernization, while modernization makes AI adoption possible.This is especially true for partners building new data patterns and industry-specific workflows across AWS.How Partner Solutions Architecture Works with ISVs, GSIs, and SIsRohan leads the Partner Solution Architecture (PSA) team, one of the most technical and influential partner-facing groups inside AWS. Their responsibility is simple - work directly with partners to ensure their architectures, solutions, and integrations are optimal on AWS.“My team is responsible for making sure that partners make the right technical decisions and architectural decisions as they build solutions.”For ISVs, this means building deeper integrations and better together capabilities with AWS services.For GSIs and SIs, this means designing and delivering migration, modernization, and industry-specific offerings that align with AWS best practices.Both motions are accelerating as customers demand cloud-native, AI-embedded solutions.How AWS Connects Partners with the FieldField alignment remains one of the most critical motions for partner success, and Rohan’s team plays a central role. After partners build offerings with PSA, AWS drives awareness through account teams, ensuring customer conversations land in the right place.This leads to repeatable co-sell motions: partners innovate, PSA validates, and the AWS field scales.Co-Engineering Is Increasing Across AWSRohan shares that AWS engineering works more closely than ever with partners.“Some of these partnerships are very deep. There is co-engineering between our engineering org and the partner engineering org.”This results in:* New service features influenced directly by partner feedback* Shared roadmap thinking* Co-built industry accelerators* Stronger interoperability between partner products and AWS servicesFor partners, this means the opportunity to shape the platform itself.The New Excitement: Agents, Dev Tools, and MarketplaceWhen asked what excites him most about this year’s announcements, Rohan highlighted several categories:* New AWS Marketplace innovations* Enhancements to AWS Transform* Dev tooling* AI security* New compute and Lambda capabilities* Autonomous agents for security, DevOps, and more“I’m super excited about the agents that we are launching for security, for DevOps, as well as key autonomous agents.”For partners, these agents open entirely new opportunities for automation, managed services, and acceleration.A Team of Trusted Technical AdvisorsRohan closes the discussion by emphasizing the role his team plays for partners:“They act as the real trusted advisors - the unofficial CTOs - who help partners make the right technical decisions.”Partners come to AWS for guidance, clarity, and confidence - and PSA delivers exactly that.Final ThoughtsThis conversation reveals something essential about the moment the ecosystem is in right now. Modernization is no longer a burden - it is a strategic unlock. AI is not an add-on - it is the accelerant. And AWS partners are entering a phase where co-engineering, co-innovation, and co-sell are more aligned than ever.If you’re a partner building on AWS, this episode delivers a clear message:The tools exist, the acceleration is real, and now is the time to build.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

Tuesday morning’s live session from Las Vegas was packed with energy - and major updates from AWS that will shape the year ahead for partner leaders.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Asher Mathew and I walked through some key announcements, the implications for ISVs and GSIs, and the importance of partner leaders as strategic drivers of revenue, innovation, and customer success. The ecosystem is moving fast - and so are the expectations for those leading it.Asher also shared a preview of what’s coming from Partnership Leaders, including the Catalyst event next summer, which is set to be one of the most important gatherings for anyone building and scaling partner ecosystems.If you missed the livestream, you can watch the replay here. Let me know what stood out to you from this year’s re:Invent signals.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

At AWS re:Invent, the energy is palpable - more than 65,000 attendees, sprawling venues and nonstop announcements. In the middle of that amazing energy, I had a fantastic conversation with Mona Chadha, a 13-year AWS veteran and Director of Worldwide Infrastructure ISV Partners. Mona’s perspective sits at the intersection of Marketplace, ISVs, AI innovation and co-sell execution.This conversation unpacked what’s new, what’s changing and what’s working for partners building and selling with AWS.AI Maturity and a New Stage of Customer ReadinessMona made a simple but powerful observation about this year’s re:Invent.“This re:Invent is the perfect point where we have all the technical capabilities with Marketplace. We have the AI, AWS AI services, the Marketplace services, AI competencies  to take AI to another level where you can now deliver value, deliver an ROI.”From her vantage point, all the building blocks - Bedrock, Agent Core, Trainium, Inferentia, Marketplace, APN competencies - are converging. Partners and customers now have the foundation not just for experimentation but for production-grade AI.This, she emphasized, is the shift from pilots to return on investment.“Those pilots have to manifest in an ROI and the only way you get that ROI is if you get that scale in production.”The DNA of High-Performing Co-Sell PartnersWorking across ISVs like Databricks, Snowflake, MongoDB, CrowdStrike, Palo Alto Networks, Okta and others, Mona sees clear patterns among the companies that succeed most with AWS.The first is early and deep integration.“They’re the first ones to actually come up with - here’s how we should be integrating with Bedrock Agent Core. Partners who are really forward-thinking and get into that AI mindset early on.”The second is tight alignment with AWS - technically, strategically and commercially.“They embed AWS into how they sell and how they market. They understand their end customer base and they build their messaging around those integrations.”And the third is something simple but often overlooked - sharing information.“Oftentimes you might be in a co-sell engagement and you’re not sharing information. The best thing is when our partners work with us, we always have new tidbits to share with one another.”In Mona’s view, the strongest partners also share something else - they themselves are great AWS customers. That gives them internal fluency, confidence in the platform and a natural ability to speak the AWS language.Why Production Workloads Matter More Than EverMuch has been said across the industry about pilots and proof-of-concepts in AI. Mona sharpened that point with data and perspective.Customers are demanding real outcomes. That requires production, measurability, integration, security, regional scale and governance.AWS’s investments - including European Sovereign Cloud and new regional expansions - directly support that shift.“AI gives us predictability. You can actually measure it now. You can measure what that ROI is.”Marketplace Innovation - Bundles and Express Private OffersOne of the exciting Marketplace announcements is the multi-product private offer.“Now you can build out an actual solution versus individual components. For channel partners and SIs, this creates a new revenue stream.”Solution bundles unlock entirely new ways for partners to sell:* Pricing on time and delivery* Pricing on outcomes* Pre-packaged architectures* Multi-ISV combinations* Attach services and managed offeringsPaired with Express Private Offers, this creates speed and precision.“Being able to proactively deliver a prescriptive solution with a price - it’s smarter ways of procuring and really helpful for the buyer.”This evolution is not theoretical. It’s already reshaping how partners build and how buyers purchase.It Takes a Village - and a New Kind of CollaborationIf there was a single recurring theme in Mona’s comments, it was orchestration.Technical stakeholders. Product teams. Marketing. Sellers. Partner teams. AWS field. ISV field.“It takes a village. It takes a bunch of different stakeholders to make it happen and move together.”Great innovations don’t reach production without great execution. And great execution requires alignment up and down both organizations.Why This re:Invent Felt DifferentMona sees this year’s re:Invent as an inflection point.“This re:Invent is particularly exciting because it takes AI to another level where you can now deliver value, deliver an ROI.”With decades of ISV experience and 13 years guiding the AWS ecosystem, she has a unique perspective on partner evolution:* From products to solutions* From cloud alignment to AI fluency* From integrations to agentic workflows* From POCs to scaled production deploymentsAnd from selling software to delivering outcomes.Final ThoughtsThis was Mona’s thirteenth re:Invent - and perhaps the most dynamic one yet. For partners looking to accelerate their AI strategy, integrate deeply with AWS services, or build meaningful co-sell relationships, her guidance is direct and actionable.Integrate early. Align messaging. Bring your whole company to the table. Build solutions, not parts. And above all, focus on the customer outcome.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

The Marketplace Moment at re:InventOn opening day of AWS re:Invent 2025, AWS Marketplace is rolling out one of its most significant waves of innovation in years. I sat down with Matt Yanchyshyn, VP of AWS Marketplace & Partner Services, to dig into the new capabilities that simplify discovery, pricing, and deployment - all centered around accelerating time-to-value.As Matt noted, his team has been running at full speed leading into re:Invent. “I like to joke that it’s launch season… there’s a steady stream this time of year” .Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.AI-Powered Discovery with Agent ModeOne of the biggest announcements is Agent Mode, a new conversational discovery experience that uses natural language queries and generative AI to help customers evaluate solutions more efficiently.Matt explained:“We’ve used agents and natural language queries and AI to really simplify the discovery experience.”Customers can upload requirement documents, ask follow-up questions, generate dynamic comparison tables, and receive AI-generated recommendations. Matt described the shift as reducing manual effort across the entire procurement lifecycle - “things that you used to have to do by email or picking up the phone… that’s what we’re automating.”Agent Mode is accessible via the Marketplace website and, importantly, through any MCP-compatible tool. This opens the door for partners and customers to integrate AWS Marketplace discovery directly into their AI agent workflows.Multi-Product Solutions: Solving Real Use CasesHistorically, Marketplace listings were single products. Today, AWS is launching multi-product solutions - pre-packaged combinations of SaaS, services, and third-party tools curated around specific customer needs.“This is a big deal because we’ve only had single atomic products so far in the marketplace.”Partners like Presidio are already leading with these unified solution offerings. Early beta participation included more than 40 solutions across multiple partners and use cases, enabling customers to procure and implement complete stacks through a single lead seller.Matt connected this to customer trends:“Customers are asking us for an easier way to discover simplified solutions that solve their use case.”Express Private Offers: Automated Custom PricingPrivate offers have long been a major growth driver in AWS Marketplace. This year, AWS introduces Express Private Offers, enabling sellers to pre-define customer qualification criteria and automatically deliver personalized pricing.Matt described it this way:“We’ve automated customized negotiation… issuing the private offer with that custom pricing on the seller’s behalf.”This helps customers bypass lengthy negotiation cycles and allows partners to increase deal velocity, especially for mid-sized transactions that previously required manual back-and-forth.Accelerating Deployment with Quick Launch PlusAWS Marketplace is also tackling a major bottleneck: implementation.Using guided workflows, Quick Launch Plus reduces configuration steps from dozens to just a few. Matt shared an example of CrowdStrike’s next-generation SIEM deployment:“We can take the clicks down from up to 60, down to just a few… setup time down from days or weeks to just seconds.”Combined with IAM temporary delegation, partners can automate resource deployment while customers retain full visibility and control.As Matt put it:“It doesn’t just end at subscription - we’re focused on the deployment part as well.”Meeting Customers Wherever They Already WorkLast year, AWS launched “Buy wit AWS” where customers, partners, and AWS could deploy AWS Marketplace widgets in context for their customers to buy directly from the AWS Marketplace. This year, the team is expanding Marketplace presence in many more “in context” sites across AWS - in particular, embedding Marketplace into AWS service consoles to streamline the process of buying Marketplace solutions while customers are in their day-to-day workflow. “If you are a Kubernetes administrator… you’re going to be in the EKS console. So we have third-party add-ons powered by Marketplace there.”With more than 15 service consoles now connected, customers can discover and subscribe to Marketplace offerings from the workflows they use every day.Global Expansion and International GrowthBeyond product innovation, Marketplace’s international footprint is accelerating. In 2025 alone, AWS launched Marketplace support in India, advanced tax compliance and channel enablement in Japan, and expanded into South Korea.Matt explained the significance:“If you’re truly going to be a 3P marketplace, having local entities with local invoicing, local tax treatment, local currency, local language is so important.”This global infrastructure allows both large ISVs and smaller innovators to reach new regions with less friction than ever before.The Big PictureAWS Marketplace is connecting AI-powered discovery, curated solution packaging, flexible pricing, and rapid deployment into one unified experience. Matt summed up the strategy clearly:“We’re reinventing the marketplace procurement experience with AI.”For customers, that means faster paths to value. For partners, it means new revenue opportunities, simplified selling motions, and global reach at scale.This re:Invent marks a major turning point - and you’ll see these capabilities in action across the show floor this week.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

Recorded live at the CMO Huddles SuperHuddle at the El Prado Hotel in Palo AltoA New Vision for Revenue Growth IntelligenceIn this conversation, Rohini Kasturi shares his perspective on a rapidly shifting GTM landscape - one in which historical reporting isn’t enough and intelligence must power every growth motion. As CEO of HG Insights, he describes the company’s mission in clear terms: enabling customers to drive revenue, retention, and operational efficiency with real, actionable insights.“Our vision really is how do we help customers drive revenue, growth, retention, and operational efficiency?”This philosophy anchors HG Insights’ recent strategy - a combination of major acquisitions, expanded intelligence, and a move toward agentic applications that operationalize everything.The Expanding Intelligence FabricHG Insights has long been known for technographics, but today the scope is far broader. They now blend firmographics, spend intelligence, partner intelligence, contract intelligence, and bottom-of-funnel intent signals from TrustRadius into a single fabric.“We now have intelligence for 20 million companies… all at an account level.”Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.The theme is completeness - a 360 view of buyers, their tech stack, their spend, their timing, and their intentions. This consolidation also explains HG’s acquisitions of TrustRadius and MadKudu.TrustRadius provides in-market buying signals. As Rohini notes:“It’s very important for the sales teams and marketing teams to know that right now, because they’re going to do a purchase in the next three months.”MadKudu, meanwhile, brings agent workflows on top of HG’s data: full account research, automated scripts, and guided sales engagement.Agentic Apps for Marketing, Sales, and RevOpsOne of the biggest announcements Rohini hints at in the conversation is a set of new agentic applications integrated directly into HG’s data fabric.“We are launching a growth platform that has three agent mesh applications… one for TAM/SAM/ICP, one for RevOps, and one for sales.”These apps take the full scope of HG’s enterprise intelligence and give teams step-by-step actions, recommendations, and automations - making intelligence usable, not just visible.This reflects a major shift in go-to-market software. It’s no longer only about dashboards - it’s about activation.Partners as Multipliers of GTM StrategyAs a former product and go-to-market leader at SolarWinds, Veritas, and Juniper, Rohini brings deep experience working with partners. His perspective is highly operational: partners succeed when they have alignment on product, pricing, and positioning - and when they’re supported with clear playbooks.“Some we had to solve through pricing and discounting… some through additional marketing funds… some by engaging the product team much more closely.”He also describes his days as Chief Product Officer at SolarWinds conducting a two-month global partner “listening tour”, meeting 300–400 partners to assess feedback and identify where joint solutions or integrations could unlock more reach. That’s an incredible commitment to partners!This mindset carries into HG Insights, where hyperscalers already use HG’s intelligence as foundational data - and now want to extend that value to their partners.“How do the partners also get the same intelligence?… That’s another growth vector we are uncovering.”One hyperscaler is already exploring rolling out HG intelligence to more than 100 of their partners.Ecosystems, Integrations, and Joint SolutionsHG Insights participates in several types of partner motions:* Integrations into systems like Salesforce, HubSpot, and LinkedIn* Joint solutions, such as the Gong + MadKudu solution* Ecosystem participation in emerging AI, CRM, and GTM platformsThis multi-layered approach helps HG scale while embedding its intelligence directly into customer workflows.“We have 30–40 integrations into various go-to-market platforms… and we have several joint solutions like the one with Gong.”Rohini frames it as a Rubik’s cube - a constant balancing act of product strategy, regional reach, competitive dynamics, and co-sell alignment.The Market Shift Toward Precision GTMUltimately, Rohini sees a clear trend across B2B technology: the move from generic outreach to highly targeted, intelligence-driven engagement. Understanding the exact buying group, their tech stack, their current spend, and their buying cycle is now essential.“You need to have a complete AI data view of a company before you talk to them.”This isn’t just a marketing challenge. Sales, partners, and product teams all need the same precision.HG’s intelligence fabric - combined with agentic applications - is designed to deliver that precision at scale.Why This Conversation MattersFor CMOs, revenue leaders, product leaders, and partner professionals, Rohini’s insights offer a blueprint for how the next generation of GTM will operate:* unified intelligence* agent-powered automation* deep partner ecosystem integration* and complete visibility into buyersAs GTM complexity rises, the companies with data-driven revenue strategies will lead the way.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

Recorded live at Microsoft Ignite 2025, San FranciscoMicrosoft Marketplace continues to be one of the fastest-scaling engines inside the Microsoft ecosystem, and few people are closer to the momentum than Jason Rook, Senior Director for Product Marketing. Fresh off a packed Ignite keynote, Jason sat down with me at Moscone West in San Francisco to break down what’s new, what’s growing, and what the newest wave of Marketplace features means for software companies and channel partners around the world.Marketplace Momentum: Faster Growth, Bigger DealsJason shared fresh data from their latest Omnia research, and the numbers were eye-opening.One of his standout points came from year-over-year Marketplace growth, especially where software companies and channel partners sell together.“In that segment of the business where software companies and channel partners are selling together, that business is growing 3.5 times as fast.”That acceleration isn’t just volume. It’s deal size, too.“When channel partners and software companies sell together those deals are almost 75 percent larger.”Jason explained that Marketplace growth mirrors a classic Microsoft pattern - when partners get involved, outcomes improve. And now Microsoft has the data to quantify it.The Marketplace Multiplier: $1.75 for ISVs, $6.26 for Channel PartnersJason walked through two specific multipliers from the Omnia study:* ISVs earn an additional $1.75 for every $1 transacted through Marketplace.* Channel partners earn an additional $6.26 for every $1 sold together with a software company.That second multiplier raised eyebrows, so I asked him what drives it.“It’s implementation, it’s design, it’s managed services, support contracts, all those other wraparounds.”This is exactly the type of revenue that channel partners care deeply about. Marketplace isn’t replacing services; it’s expanding them.Resale Enabled Offers: A New Global Channel MotionMicrosoft also introduced one of the most significant Marketplace enhancements yet at Ignite: Resale Enabled Offers.This feature allows a software company to take its existing Marketplace offer and transfer it to a channel partner, who can then sell that offer directly to the customer. No republishing. No friction.“We’re giving the software company the ability to take their existing offer and basically just transfer that over to the channel partner, and then the channel partner can sell that offer directly to a customer.”Even more importantly, this capability is enabled in all Microsoft commercial marketplace markets - roughly 130 regions worldwide.The go-to-market implications are massive.A Truly Global Channel StrategyIn the past, Marketplace momentum was strongest in the US, UK, and Canada. But with resale-enabled offers now available globally, Jason emphasized that the partner opportunity is no longer constrained by geography.“Now you think about this channel selling motion - it’s truly global now.”This unlocks new motion types:* GSIs* MSPs* SIs* VARs* Regional boutique partnersIf you have a Microsoft Partner ID and a tax profile - you can participate.Marketplace and Co-Sell Come TogetherFor the last two years, many SIs and MSPs felt Marketplace co-sell motions were out of reach. Not anymore.Jason was clear that resale-enabled offers connect tightly into Microsoft’s co-sell system.“If you’re a systems integrator or managed service provider and you’re like, I’ve been cut out of co-sell because it’s been a marketplace thing… that’s not the case anymore.”Marketplace can now be the transaction system, while partners remain the primary sales motion.Why This Matters to Software CompaniesISVs now have three interconnected levers to drive growth:* Marketplace transactions* Channel-led resale* Co-sell accelerationAnd when partners get involved, deals get bigger, move faster, and carry more attach services. For every product leader thinking about scale in 2025 and beyond, these motions aren’t optional anymore.Why This Matters to Channel PartnersFor partners, Marketplace is no longer a passive listing. It’s a revenue engine. It’s also becoming the cleanest way to:* Expand into new markets* Accelerate cloud consumption conversations* Increase services pull-through* Participate in ISV programs more seamlessly* Integrate with Microsoft field and co-sell systemsJason put it simply: the ecosystem is opening wider than ever before.Closing ThoughtsMarketplace isn’t slowing down. It’s scaling. The combination of partner-led selling, resale-enabled offers, global reach, and measurable multipliers will reshape Microsoft’s partner motions across 2025 and beyond.If you’re an ISV or channel partner, there has never been a better time to plug into Microsoft Marketplace and build a repeatable, high-growth revenue motion.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clips This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

The Fastest Marketing Cycle We Have Ever SeenWhen I sat down with Heidi Bullock, CMO at Tealium, at the CMO Huddles SuperHuddle in Palo Alto, she began with a statement that set the tone for everything that followed.“We are in a cycle of speed right now I have never seen before.”Marketing is shifting so quickly that messaging polished in Q1 might be irrelevant by Q2. Market noise, rapid AI adoption, and shifting customer expectations are compressing cycles and forcing teams to rebuild and rethink faster than ever.For Heidi, this pace is not just a challenge. It is reshaping how CMOs approach data, partners, and AI inside their organizations.AI Begins and Ends With Data QualityTealium has long been a leader in real-time, consented customer data. But the rise of AI has pushed the value of that data to a new level.Heidi described a significant uptick in companies seeking reliable, clean data to feed AI models and power in-moment experiences.“Your AI outputs are only as good as the data going in.”Organizations now recognize that they cannot rely on historical records alone. They need real-time signals from mobile apps, web behavior, and customer touchpoints to make AI-driven interactions meaningful.This is where Tealium sits - collecting consented, high-quality data that can flow into LLMs, AI agents, and personalized activation workflows.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Why Partnerships Are Now a Core Pillar of GTMA major theme in our conversation was the role of partnerships in modern enterprise go-to-market motions. Tealium works closely with AWS, Databricks, and Snowflake, and each partnership plays a strategic role.Heidi framed partners not as optional channels, but as essential multipliers.“If we tried to do everything alone, it would take so much more time, work, and energy.”Customers already have a cloud data warehouse. They already use hyperscalers. They already operate in well-established ecosystems.Rather than compete with those environments, Tealium plugs into them, extending and enriching the systems customers already rely on.“Partners are a multiplier. They make everything simpler and more effective for the customer.”What stood out in Heidi’s explanation was the emphasis on specificity. Tealium does not sell broad, abstract solutions inside these partner environments. They lead with:* Industry competencies* Clear use cases* Targeted scenarios that sellers and customers can easily understandThis clarity cuts through noise, especially in a crowded AI landscape.Building Use Cases the Right WayHeidi was very intentional about how Tealium builds industry use cases. They avoid assumptions and rely heavily on customer validation.“We do not build a use case because we talked to one customer. We talk to twenty.”The process is designed to ensure Tealium is addressing real problems that multiple customers actually feel. Once validated, AI helps scale the content, but never defines the direction.It is a disciplined approach grounded in truth, not internal brainstorming.AI Agents and the New Marketing Org ChartOne of the most intriguing insights in our conversation was the emergence of AI agents inside marketing teams. Some org charts now show five or six marketers supported by specialized agents performing specific tasks.This is still new, but adoption is accelerating. Heidi noted that marketing might be one of the fastest AI adopters across the enterprise.“Marketing teams have adopted AI faster than any other group because we have had to.”Efficiency pressures, cost reduction, and the need to accelerate output make AI an obvious addition to modern marketing teams.AI is already taking on time-consuming tasks that marketers do not want to spend hours on - formatting, variations, tagging, scaling assets, and more.The shift is not theoretical. It is happening now.Avoiding AI Washing in a Noisy MarketWith every company rushing to add AI to its messaging, the risk of overstatement is real. Heidi said this has become a top concern in every strategy session she has attended.“Even companies with real AI capabilities are worried about AI washing.”Tealium avoids that trap by grounding its message in a simple truth:High-quality data and strong business rules are the foundation for any AI experience worth trusting. If that part is missing, nothing else can compensate.Final Thoughts: What Partner Leaders Can LearnHeidi’s insights extend far beyond marketing. For partner leaders, the themes are just as relevant:* Speed is now the default operating mode.* Clean, consented data fuels every AI initiative.* Hyperscaler partnerships amplify reach, credibility, and customer outcomes.* Use case specificity wins.* Teams are learning how to integrate AI agents into daily workflows.Across all of it runs a consistent thread: teams that validate problems deeply, move quickly, and stay aligned with partner ecosystems will outperform the rest.Heidi’s clarity in a noisy environment is refreshing and highly actionable. Her perspective is rooted in practice, not theory. And as the AI wave continues to reshape GTM, organizations that embrace these principles will be better positioned to adapt and excel.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

The New Shape of Partner MarketingModern partner marketing is in the middle of a major shift. Buying patterns have changed, ecosystems have expanded, and AI has compressed what used to be six-month cycles into a matter of days. In this conversation, Suraj Atreya of Rackspace Technology shares an inside view of how enterprise partner marketing is evolving, why alignment matters more than ever, and where the function is headed as organizations embrace the next wave of AI.Why the Ecosystem Is Driving the New GTM RealityEnterprises no longer buy monolithic stacks. They assemble solutions that span seven to ten technologies. That shift has completely reshaped the role of partner marketing.In Suraj’s words:“Today enterprises want to buy a mixed variety of solutions across the stack, and it is in that mix where partner marketing becomes a strong force to drive ecosystem led growth.”This shift demands not just messaging alignment but also operational alignment among corporate marketing, product marketing, field marketing, and partner teams. As Suraj emphasizes, partner marketing now acts as connective tissue between corporate strategy, field execution, and the broader partner ecosystem.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.AI Compression - From Six Months to DaysOne of the most significant unlocks has come from AI’s ability to reduce the time and effort of creating partner ready content.Suraj explains:“Partner marketing was all about entering a big portal, downloading assets, and taking six months to customize. Today all that has come down to weeks and even days with AI.”Vertical content, partner specific messaging, campaign-in-a-box assets, and persona-based storytelling can now be localized and deployed at a fraction of the time and cost.But he also argues that the human layer remains critical. AI amplifies, but it does not replace, judgment, insight, and relationships.“You as a human have very specific insights which AI can amplify, but not replace. It is human plus AI that scales partner marketing.”Better Together Stories Need Field Buy-InA good partner marketing program cannot stop at the marketing team. Suraj stresses that sellers - both your own and your partner’s - must fully believe in your better together narrative.“The sellers and partner sellers need to buy into the better together story. It cannot be that marketing puts something on the website and the sales organization does not buy into it.”This is where alignment becomes execution. Partner marketing must ensure that storytelling, enablement, and field motions reflect the same strategy, the same priorities, and the same value proposition.ABM Evolving Into Account Based EcosystemsSuraj also sees Account Based Marketing changing. Instead of focusing only on internal target accounts, ABM now incorporates partner signals, funding programs, incentives, and market intelligence from hyperscalers.“ABM is now evolving to cover account based ecosystem. It is not just our target accounts, but also the synergies across partners and where they are focusing.”This evolution creates highly focused motions tailored to specific accounts, regions, and use cases, all underpinned by shared data between partners.The Power of Personalized, Human Social SellingSomething as simple as a LinkedIn post has become a powerful lever inside massive ecosystems. Suraj notes that partner sellers, architects, and marketers increasingly share stories not just from corporate handles but from their personal profiles.This personal distribution drives trust.“People buy from people they trust. A post from a person builds more trust than the corporate profile.”That shift increases the reach and relevance of partner stories while improving brand perception inside partner organizations - an often overlooked priority.Organizing for Ecosystem SuccessSuraj believes the reporting structure (CMO, CRO, or Head of Partnerships) is less important than the scorecard and alignment. What matters is that all stakeholders agree on:* shared outcomes* shared metrics* shared target accounts* shared messagingWhen partner marketing is evaluated on the same business outcomes as sales, alliances, and corporate marketing, the engine works.Where Partner Marketing Goes NextSuraj sees the next leap happening at the intersection of human leadership and agentic AI. Tools will accelerate content, planning, orchestration, and intelligence. But the biggest differentiator will be mindset.In his view, leaders who thrive will be the ones who stay focused, execute clearly, and bring stakeholders together under one unified narrative.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

Allison Johnson joined Inside Partnering for a wide-open conversation about what it takes to succeed as an ISV inside AWS today. From the rapid rise of agentic, to how partners should think about AWS Marketplace, to the mechanics behind SCAs, she offered a clear view into how AWS is evolving its partner motions and what ISVs can do to stay ahead.A Role Built for Today’s MomentAllison is Director of the Americas Technology Partners team at AWS, overseeing a huge and diverse portfolio - from some of the largest infrastructure players to biz-apps, industry specialists, emerging GenAI companies, and born-on-Bedrock startups. She also manages teams dedicated to SAP.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Her vantage point touches nearly every corner of the AWS partner ecosystem. And as she put it, this is a uniquely energizing moment to be in her seat.Allison described meeting a colleague after visiting startups building on Bedrock. On the drive back, she told her: “We’re so lucky to have these jobs.” That energy runs throughout the conversation - AWS feels like it is in the middle of a generational shift, and ISVs are at the center of it.Agentic - What ISVs Need to KnowAcross every partner segment, Allison is hearing the same thing: ISVs are trying to understand how to build agents, how to integrate AI into their applications, and where to start with AWS.To support that, Allison challenged her own team to build internal agents using AWS’s AI stack. They created what she calls an “agent check ride process” - building automations using Q, Kiro, Flow, and other tools so the team could speak from experience.The result is a hands-on understanding of how agentic development works, what simplifies the process, and what blocks partners typically hit.On the ISV side, the agentic options fall into a few buckets:* Build your own using Agent Core* Use off-the-shelf agents like Q for Business, Q Developer, or Connect for customer service* Tap into Agent Marketplace, launched in July and already expanding rapidly* Lean on workshops and SA support to accelerate custom buildsAllison noted that each partner’s AI motion is unique. But all successful paths include learning the tools firsthand, closing internal knowledge gaps, and positioning agentic as a value driver across the product.Marketplace - Still the First Route to Co-SellMarketplace remains one of the most important levers for ISVs. As Allison put it plainly, Marketplace is “the first route to market for ISVs who want to do anything around co-selling with our reps.”The platform has evolved from early days as a full-price self-service listing model into a global procurement engine with private offers, flexible pricing, SaaS free trials, pay-as-you-go, SaaS options, professional services, multi-currency, and more.A few key themes from Allison:* Marketplace is now simply how customers want to buy* Procurement teams are pushing for it because it reduces friction* ISVs increasingly win competitive deals because they can transact through AWS* The international expansion (including India just recently) is accelerating partner reach* Many sales leaders inside ISVs are now mandating ACE entries and Marketplace motionsHer early story about writing the first CPPO contract by hand in 2017 captured just how far Marketplace has come. That one deal helped trigger years of innovation - and ISVs today see the benefits.Strategic Collaboration Agreements - When They MatterSCAs are not for everyone. Allison made that clear. AWS has thousands of partners, and only a small percentage engage in SCAs.They are most effective when an ISV is already scaling, has meaningful AWS revenue, and is ready to lean into deeper joint build, joint marketing, and co-sell motions.The core structure typically covers:* Co-Build - integrations, console visibility, embedding AWS services, GenAI components* Co-Market - campaigns, webinars, sales events, demand creation* Co-Sell - revenue, pipeline, ACE entries, industry targeting, field alignmentBut the true unlock is sales alignment. As Allison said, without sales buy-in, “it doesn’t go anywhere.”Quarterly business reviews, performance-based funding, and goal tracking reinforce the discipline needed to make SCAs successful for both sides.Industry Alignment - Practical, Not PrescriptiveAWS’s field realigned around industries in early 2024. But that doesn’t mean ISVs need to mimic AWS’s structure.Instead, Allison recommends a realistic approach: identify the two or three industries where you already have traction and focus co-sell motions there. That alignment helps AWS reps understand where the ISV can support their accounts and makes early wins much easier.The Evolving Channel - CPPO, GSIs, and DistributorsAllison shared a fascinating look at how channel partners have changed:* Software companies now sell services* GSIs are often now software builders* Resellers often have become MSPs* Distributors are listing AWS-linked catalogsCPPO, launched in 2018, was a major accelerator. Today, CPPO is fully aligned with direct Marketplace functionality, including pricing, reporting, payments, and discovery tools.Channel partners now drive a huge portion of Marketplace transactions - and the lines between ISV, SI, MSP, and reseller are more blurred than ever.A Conversation Filled with InsightsAllison brings a voice shaped by nine years inside AWS Marketplace, AI, and partner development - and decades of broader channel experience before that.For ISVs navigating agentic, Marketplace, or co-sell inside AWS, her guidance is gold: start with clarity, learn the tools firsthand, build the right alignment, and treat AWS like the strategic engine it can be.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and your career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

When Mandy Dhaliwal arrived at Nutanix as Chief Marketing Officer, she quickly noticed something missing in the company’s go-to-market story.For a business that runs 100 percent of its revenue through partners, partner marketing hadn’t yet earned its rightful seat at the center of the marketing engine.That realization launched a transformation – not just of how Nutanix markets, but of how it orchestrates the entire ecosystem.“Part of my mission was to bring the partnering aspect of what we do closer to the center of the marketing orbit,” Mandy told me at the CMO Huddles SuperHuddle in Palo Alto.Bringing Partner Marketing to the CoreToday, Nutanix is a multi-billion-dollar hybrid-multicloud software leader with more than 30,000 customers and thousands of employees worldwide.Its business depends on a global network of channel partners, OEMs, and strategic alliances that bring Nutanix solutions to market.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Early in her tenure, Mandy saw that these partners needed to be embedded in every launch, campaign, and demand program – not looped in afterward.“A hundred percent of our business goes through the channel,” she said. “We’re a software vendor that partners with every major server vendor out there. So partners have to be right there alongside us in everything we do.”Two Distinct Playbooks: Channel vs AlliancesAs Nutanix scaled, Mandy and her team realized that “partners” weren’t one monolithic group. Each type required a different motion – and different metrics for success.1️⃣ Channel Partners – Extension of the Sales ForceFor the channel, Nutanix treats partners as a true extension of its own sales organization.Every campaign, product launch, and enablement program mirrors what the internal sales teams receive.“There’s no wall between us,” Mandy explained. “The campaigns we build and the launches we do include the channel teams from the start. They get the exact same materials and blueprints that our direct teams use.”This approach ensures consistency in message, positioning, and execution. Whether a deal comes through a direct rep or a partner, the story and experience for the customer remain unified.It’s a simple premise – but in practice, it’s a major cultural shift. Instead of treating partner marketing as a derivative function, Mandy’s team now integrates it into every major go-to-market motion.2️⃣ Alliances and OEMs – Interoperability as the Core ValueFor OEMs and strategic alliances, however, the playbook looks very different.Here, the marketing strategy centers on interoperability – demonstrating how Nutanix and partners like Dell, HPE, Cisco, Pure Storage, and Nvidia work together to create seamless, high-performance environments.“We wouldn’t be able to go to market without the interoperability of our solutions,” Mandy said. “With the server vendors, it’s a different play. We’re selling on those servers. With the strategic alliance partners, we’re powering AI factories and joint blueprints that go to market together.”These partnerships rely on joint development and co-marketing, where Nutanix’s platform becomes the connective tissue enabling partners’ hardware or cloud systems to deliver more value.Rather than simply extending Nutanix’s reach, these alliances extend the solution itself – creating new categories of demand where both companies share the stage.Building the Partner PlaybookAcross both playbooks, Mandy’s team follows a repeatable structure that begins with enablement.Before a campaign hits the market, both sides’ sales and marketing teams invest in deep training and messaging alignment.“We start with enablement,” she said. “Our teams enable the partners – and vice versa – so everyone understands what we’re selling, to whom, and why.”From there, Nutanix and its partners co-create campaigns, appear together at major events like AWS re:Invent and Dell World, and drive joint demand programs.Each step reinforces two constants: customer value first, partner integration always.Partnering as a Force MultiplierMandy calls partnerships Nutanix’s force multiplier – a phrase that captures both the scale and the philosophy behind the model.By treating the channel as part of the company and alliances as part of the product ecosystem, Nutanix amplifies its reach far beyond what a single organization could achieve alone.The result is a marketing motion where every partner touchpoint contributes directly to customer success – from first engagement to long-term adoption.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.The AI Layer: Building for Machines and HumansOf course, no conversation with a modern CMO would be complete without talking about AI.Mandy shared how Nutanix uses AI both within its platform and across its marketing stack.Her team is integrating AI into content creation, design, and pipeline progression – but with a disciplined approach.“Let’s not just add more tools until we understand the journey,” she said. “Let’s architect that first and then slot in the tools.”The company’s One Mind AI avatar now greets visitors on Nutanix’s homepage – answering questions and handing off to sales when needed.Internally, every marketer now has an “agent” on their org chart.“We’re building for machines and humans – it’s the new world order.”Lessons for Partner LeadersAsked what advice she’d give to partner executives trying to collaborate more effectively with marketing, Mandy didn’t hesitate:“If we galvanize around the needs of the customer, we’re going to win together.”For her, great partnerships start with shared curiosity, open collaboration, and testing ideas with customers before scaling them.She encourages marketing and partner teams alike to keep experimenting – especially as AI reshapes how every function operates.“We could author a book in real time about all the experiments,” she laughed. “Six months from now we’ll look back and see how far we’ve come.”Closing ThoughtsMandy Dhaliwal’s leadership at Nutanix shows what happens when marketing and partnerships truly integrate.By recognizing the difference between a channel extension play and an alliance interoperability play, her team has built a GTM model that’s both scalable and adaptable – and deeply aligned around the customer.In an industry where ecosystems define success, Mandy’s blueprint is clear:Unify around customer value, empower every partner, and never stop experimenting.Because when marketing and partnerships move in sync, growth multiplies.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.📌 If you found this post helpful, would you please consider restacking it and sharing it with your audience? This spreads the word and keeps me interviewing and sharing content that will help you grow your partnership business and career.Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! This post is public so feel free to share it.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

When Drew Neisser walked on stage at the CMO Huddles SuperHuddle dressed head to toe in a penguin suit, the room erupted. It wasn’t just comic relief - it was a perfect metaphor for everything the CMO Huddles community stands for: boldness, courage, and the power of the flock.As Drew puts it, “A group of penguins is called a huddle. That’s what we’re about - caring, sharing, and daring together.”From Crisis to CommunityThe origin story of CMO Huddles goes back to April 1, 2020. The world was in lockdown. Marketing leaders were isolated, events were canceled, and uncertainty was everywhere. Drew gathered 18 CMOs on a Zoom call. They met 55 times in six months. What began as a survival mechanism quickly became a thriving peer community - and a business built on purpose.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Fast forward to 2025, and the SuperHuddle in Palo Alto brought together over a hundred CMOs from some of the most admired B2B brands on the planet - Snowflake, Gong, Lovable, and more. The energy was palpable as leaders leaned into one another for ideas, strategies, and perspective.A Culture of Flocking AwesomenessWhat makes the Huddles unique is how they combine structure with spontaneity. Each session puts CMOs in table groups of eight to ten to tackle real-world problems together - live, in the room. These “mini-huddles” simulate the virtual peer huddles that define the community, bringing them to life in an immersive, high-energy format.And yes, there’s the penguin. “It’s part of our brand,” Drew says. “Because a group of penguins is a huddle. We try to be bold, courageous, and have fun. I wore the penguin suit to inspire CMOs to lead with a little more courage.”Authentic DifferentiationOne of the major themes that emerged from the event was the idea that true differentiation starts with culture, not campaigns. Drew noted that the top CMOs from companies like Snowflake, Gong, and Lovable all shared a similar insight: culture drives brand, and authenticity drives trust.“What would work for Lovable won’t necessarily work for Snowflake,” Drew explained. “It’s not just about marketing - it’s about who you are as an organization. The culture is the difference.”That theme resonated across sessions - whether CMOs were discussing AI, storytelling, or customer experience, it all came back to authenticity.Alignment as the SuperpowerAnother major takeaway was alignment. CMOs face constant pressure to balance relationships in three directions: upward to the CEO and board, sideways with peers like the CRO and CFO, and downward to their teams.“Peer alignment was probably the most profound theme of the day,” Drew shared. “The partnership between Denise Persson and Chris Degnan at Snowflake is a perfect example - nine years together, four CEOs, and they built a scalable, repeatable revenue engine.”Their story, from $3 million to over a billion in revenue, is a masterclass in partnership and trust between marketing and sales. As Drew put it, “There’s not one size fits all in marketing - and that’s why it’s so damn hard.”Beyond Best PracticesA recurring phrase throughout the day was that “best practices are boring.” True innovation comes from judgment and creativity. One CMO shared how they use AI to generate campaign ideas - not to copy them, but to identify what not to do.“We put the AI-generated ideas on the wall and say, ‘That’s the obvious stuff. Let’s skip it,’” Drew laughed. “That’s where judgment comes in. Great marketing leadership is about developing judgment in your people.”Care, Share, DareAt its heart, the CMO Huddles mantra - Care. Share. Dare. - is about building a culture of generosity and courage. Care deeply about your peers. Share knowledge freely. Dare to lead differently.For Drew, the penguin suit wasn’t just a gag - it was a statement. Leadership today requires both boldness and empathy. And if you can laugh along the way, even better.Closing ThoughtsAs the SuperHuddle wrapped up, Drew’s energy - even after 2 days of hosting, moderating, and storytelling - was still contagious. “I’m running on vapors,” he laughed. “But my martini is waiting for me.”That mix of humor, humility, and heart is what makes Drew such a beloved leader among CMOs. CMO Huddles isn’t just a network - it’s a community built on trust, connection, and the shared mission to make marketing a force for good.And as Drew likes to say, “Have a flocking awesome day.”🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

At the CMO Huddles SuperHuddle in Palo Alto, I sat down with Sandy Ono, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of Marketing and Partnerships at OpenText, to explore how her dual leadership role across marketing and partnerships is reshaping how the $5.5B software company goes to market.OpenText has been a trusted name in enterprise information management for decades. But as Sandy shares, the company has evolved far beyond its content management roots - now spanning cloud, cybersecurity, and AI-driven solutions across 10 categories. Through that growth, one thing has remained consistent: a deep commitment to partnerships.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.“About 40% of our business runs through partners,” Sandy explains. “We think about our partnerships in five big segments - strategic partners, GSIs, cloud providers, resellers, and managed service providers. Each has a distinct motion, but all are aligned to growth.”At the top of that list sits SAP, a partnership that dates back more than 20 years. “We’ve been a Pinnacle Partner for 19 of those,” Sandy says proudly. “SAP focuses on structured data - ERP, HR, finance - and OpenText complements that by managing the unstructured content behind those processes. Together, we help customers move to the cloud more efficiently while maintaining compliance and governance.”That combination - structure and context - has become even more vital in the age of AI. “AI is only as good as the data foundation beneath it,” Sandy notes. “We always say, strong data foundation leads to strong AI outcomes. We’ve spent 35 years governing the humans - now we need to govern the agents.”It’s a philosophy that ties directly into OpenText’s mission of secure information management for AI. As organizations rush to integrate generative tools into their workflows, OpenText’s platform provides the trust layer needed to ensure AI outputs are governed, auditable, and aligned with enterprise standards.Marketing and Partnerships: Two Sides of GrowthSandy’s path to leading both marketing and partnerships wasn’t a deliberate pivot - it was a natural evolution. “I’m a marketing geek,” she says with a smile. “What I love most about marketing is crafting strategy and bringing it to market. Partnerships take that one step further - when you form great alliances, the growth is tangible. The revenue comes.”That synergy between brand, go-to-market, and partnership execution has become one of OpenText’s strongest advantages. “You can have a wonderful partnership and negotiate the best deal,” Sandy explains, “but unless you bring your marketing friends along, it doesn’t come to life. Marketing and alliances are two sides of the same growth engine.”It’s also about relevance - to both customers and partners. “A lot of partnerships are sell-through models,” she says. “Your relevance is not just to the end customer but to the partner’s sales organization. You’re enabling your own sellers and your partner’s sellers - and both have to understand your joint value proposition.”Partnering Through Deep IntegrationOpenText’s new partnerships with Guidewire and Fiserv are prime examples of how the company is tailoring its strategy for industry-specific impact.“If you’re an insurance company using Guidewire,” Sandy says, “you want to stay in your application, not bounce around. But you still need a single source of truth, seamless workflow, and strong content management. That’s what OpenText brings to the table.”These kinds of embedded partnerships - where technology is built directly into the customer’s workflow - create “stickiness” that drives long-term value. “They take years,” Sandy admits. “You have to engineer together, go to market together, and stay relevant to the customer base. But when you get it right, it’s incredibly powerful.”Shared KPIs, Shared AccountabilityTo make these partnerships thrive, Sandy emphasizes the importance of shared metrics across marketing, partnerships, and sales.“Pipeline generation is the name of the game,” she says. “We’re clear about accountability across the teams - who sourced what, who influenced what. Once you build that muscle, you can stop counting every little thing and focus on the outcome.”That accountability extends to partner enablement as well. “Your partner sellers need to understand your value proposition. The first question they’ll ask is, ‘why aren’t you competitive with me?’ Once they trust you, they want to know how your product fits in their stack, and whether it’s certified and supported.”That progression - from trust to integration to shared success - mirrors the same funnel marketers know well. “At the end of the day,” Sandy says, “we’re all working toward customer trust. And that takes alignment across every part of the go-to-market engine.”The Future of Partner-Driven MarketingAs OpenText leans further into AI, Sandy sees an even greater need for alignment between marketing, partnerships, and technology leadership. “Customers need to trust the systems, the data, and the outcomes,” she says. “And the best way to do that is through partnerships that bring complementary strengths together.”It’s a powerful reminder that in the age of AI, no company goes to market alone.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email.#Partnerships #B2BMarketing #AI #OpenText #SAP #EcosystemLeadership #InsidePartnering This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

When you think about partnerships between two global tech giants, few are as powerful as AWS and Salesforce.In this episode of Inside Partnering, I sat down with Christopher Mercer, Global Manager of Partner Development for Salesforce at AWS. Christopher’s story is a rare one: he started his career at Salesforce, spent nearly a decade there, and then transitioned to AWS - where he now manages the very partnership between those two companies.It’s a unique vantage point that gives him insight into both cultures, sales motions, and the intricate web of customer needs that drive collaboration at scale.Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.The Perfect Intersection of Two WorldsChristopher calls his journey “a story of lucky intersections.”He first joined Salesforce right out of school as an inbound sales rep, then later became a Salesforce system administrator for a healthcare company - an experience that shaped his understanding of how Salesforce’s platform was used in real-world business workflows.Years later, after joining AWS, a colleague noticed his Salesforce background and asked if he’d be interested in leading the Salesforce partnership. “It was the perfect cross-section all over again,” he said. “I’d been on both sides—and suddenly had the chance to connect the dots.”Three Pillars of the PartnershipChristopher breaks down the AWS–Salesforce relationship into three main areas:* Product Development – How each company’s technology complements the other.Example: customers building on AWS who want to connect data from Redshift or S3 into Salesforce Data Cloud, enabling richer customer insights and AI capabilities through Agentforce and Amazon Bedrock.* Co-Marketing and Co-Sell – Educating both Salesforce and AWS sellers on how to jointly tell the story.As Christopher puts it, “Sometimes it’s as simple as asking a customer, ‘Do you use Salesforce and AWS?’ If the answer’s yes, there’s a great conversation to be had.”* Customer Enablement – Empowering GSIs and end-customers to bring both ecosystems together.Many global SIs have separate AWS and Salesforce practices; the partnership aims to bridge those silos and unlock new value through integration.From Product Integration to Marketplace MomentumThe partnership’s momentum accelerated with the Strategic Collaboration Agreement (SCA) announced in 2023. Within a year, Salesforce reached over $2 billion in AWS Marketplace transactions - a remarkable achievement driven by cross-functional teamwork and customer demand.But it wasn’t just about procurement efficiency.Marketplace opened the door for deeper collaboration. Salesforce sellers found new opportunities to engage AWS teams, while customers benefited from simplified purchasing and the ability to apply their AWS spend commitments to Salesforce products.For AWS, it created a new path to co-sell opportunities and customer conversations around data, AI, and modernization.Co-Selling in the Age of AIWhen Salesforce launched Agentforce, AWS saw an opening for meaningful technical collaboration.Customers using Agentforce needed access to high-quality, first-party data, often residing in AWS data lakes or Redshift clusters.That’s where co-selling became essential. “Salesforce reps were hearing customers say, ‘Our data’s in AWS, can you connect us with our AWS rep?’” Mercer explained. “It was the perfect timing for our two teams to come together.”The combination of AWS compute, AI services like Bedrock, and Salesforce’s CRM and Data Cloud created an end-to-end story for customers - from infrastructure to insight.Listening to Customers Drives InnovationA theme throughout the conversation was customer feedback as the true north.From early success with Service Cloud Voice (built on Amazon Connect) to the latest integrations with Tableau and Data Cloud, many innovations came directly from customer requests.“Customers told us they loved both Service Cloud and Amazon Connect,” Mercer said. “They asked us to figure out how to bring them together—and that became Service Cloud Voice, now Agentforce Voice.”This customer-driven model also extends to roadmap discussions. AWS and Salesforce teams regularly meet with joint customers to identify new integration opportunities and push the boundaries of what’s possible.The Strategic Collaboration Agreement: Lessons for ISVsEvery ISV dreams of signing a Strategic Collaboration Agreement (SCA) with AWS. Christopher described the process as a disciplined alignment exercise across three questions:* How will it work for AWS’s field?* How will it work for Salesforce’s field?* How will it work for the customer?“If it doesn’t work in all three areas,” Mercer said, “it doesn’t matter how good your solution is - it has to make sense for the people who sell it and the people who use it.”That pragmatic focus has helped keep the partnership aligned and durable. Almost everyone who worked on the initial SCA in 2023 is still actively engaged today.Looking AheadAs both companies continue to innovate, Christopher’s job remains as dynamic as ever.“Just when we think we have something figured out,” he laughed, “AWS or Salesforce comes out with a new product - and we have to adapt all over again.”For Mercer, that’s exactly what makes the partnership exciting. “When you bring together two companies like this - each moving fast and pushing boundaries - it forces everyone to think bigger.”💡 Key TakeawayThe AWS–Salesforce alliance shows what’s possible when two cloud leaders unite around customer value.It’s not just co-selling - it’s co-building, co-innovating, and continuously co-adapting.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

Partnerships is a lot messier than it looks - and that messiness is actually the opportunity. At a Partnership Leaders breakfast during Dreamforce, Greg Portnoy, Founder and CEO of Euler, made a clear case: partnerships are objectively the most efficient go-to-market channel, yet the function is starved of the software and measurement tooling other GTM teams take for granted.If you’ve worked in partnerships, you know the pattern: data scattered across emails, spreadsheets, Slack threads, and legacy PRMs; manual deal intake processes; mediocre enablement that asks partners to do the impossible - learn your product, learn how to pitch it, and keep selling it as their priorities shift. Greg put it plainly: “There’s data and workflows and touch points and activity all over the place. How do you, if you’re not measuring all of that … bring that information together in some sort of a way that’s actionable and reliable?”Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.That question points to the three practical levers every head of partnerships should be focused on right now:* Measurement and ROI storytelling. You can’t ask for budget without an ROI story. Greg argues that when partnerships are measured properly they can show outsized returns - a rationale boards and C-level execs understand. Euler’s early market results reinforce this: partner-sourced revenue growth, partner portfolio expansion, and meaningful time savings per partner manager. Those numbers shift the conversation from “maybe” to “invest here.”* Remove friction where the work happens. People live in Slack, not in separate portals. Greg described Deal Flow AI - an integration that lets teams register partner referrals directly from email or Slack without forcing partners to fill forms. The idea is elegantly simple: meet people where they work, eliminate manual handoffs, and capture the structured data you need downstream. That single change alone raises deal velocity and keeps pipeline honest.* Use AI to make partners productive, not to add another tool. This is the part that excited Greg most. Partnerships haven’t seen the same tooling investment as sales and marketing, so they’re sitting on low-hanging fruit for AI. If your partner portal isn’t just a document repository but an AI agent that knows your enablement, agreements, commissions, and pipeline, it can answer questions, coach partners at the point of need, and dramatically reduce the enablement burden on you and your partners. In Greg’s words, that AI becomes “your partnership LLM” - it’s the difference between telling partners to take a training and giving them an answer when they need it.What does this all add up to? For practitioners, it’s a shift from chasing vanity metrics to engineering predictable outcomes. For leaders, it’s a path to budget and headcount: demonstrate deliverable ROI and the company will invest. For partners and reps, it’s less friction, faster deals, and easier enablement.Three practical moves to start this week:* Audit where partner signals originate (email, Slack, meetings) and instrument the easiest capture points first.* Define two measurable partner outcomes you want this quarter - for example, partner-sourced pipeline and time saved per partner manager - and instrument them.* Pilot an enablement/answering agent for one vertical or partner cohort; measure time to answer and follow-on win rates.Partnerships are maturing from hype to craft. The best teams are no longer guessing what “good” looks like - they’re building repeatable frameworks for partner selection, enablement, and measurement. Greg’s message at Dreamforce was straightforward and energizing: stop treating partnerships like a black box. Instrument it, reduce friction where people actually work, and let AI drive the heavy lifting so people can focus on strategic relationship and outcomes. The result is predictable revenue, faster deal cycles, and a much stronger case for investment.If you’re a head of partnerships or a CPO, the experiment to run isn’t exotic: capture signals where partners live, measure the outcomes you care about, and give partners the right answers at the point of need. Do that and you’ll not only scale the channel — you’ll make the business case to scale it with you.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

At the recent ChannelScaler event in Palo Alto, Lori Cornmesser, most recently VP of Channels and Alliances at 1Password, joined me to share how she’s building a modern partner strategy for one of the world’s most recognized consumer security brands.After more than a decade in enterprise networking and cybersecurity, including leadership roles at Juniper Networks and Infoblox, Lori knows what it takes to build partner ecosystems that deliver both growth and trust. When she joined 1Password about a year ago, her mission was clear – to take a company loved by consumers and build a thriving enterprise and channel business around it.“1Password is a brand people already know,” she said. “Now it’s about taking that brand into businesses through partners – resellers, MSPs, distributors, and technology alliances.”Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Scaling with FocusFor Lori, success starts with focus. She organizes partners not just by type, but by which customer segment they serve best. “I always begin with the customer in mind,” she explained. “What customers are we trying to serve – SMB, commercial, enterprise – and which partner profiles best serve those customers.”From there, she names go-to partners by segment, giving both sellers and partners clarity on who owns what. “I want my partners to have confidence that I’ve named them to be the go-to-market partner for SMB, enterprise, or federal. Everyone wants to understand the role they’re playing. The faster we get aligned on that, the faster we can go.”AI, Simplicity, and ExperimentationAt the event, AI was a major theme. Lori noted that many in the room were still trying to separate hype from action. “The biggest takeaway for me was that some vendors and partners are already putting AI into practice,” she said. “You don’t have to solve everything on day one. Make a decision to do something, start from there, and scale.”Her philosophy for channel programs mirrors that same spirit of simplicity and progress. “Ease of doing business has to be at the core,” Lori said. “Keep programs simple, align on roles, and start experimenting.”Measuring What MattersAs a “scrappy channel chief” with a sales background, Lori keeps her eyes on what ultimately drives value: revenue. “Everything else is moderately interesting,” she laughed. “At the end of the day, it’s about whether we’re getting into new logos, new markets, and driving revenue – whether it’s partner-sourced, influenced, or assisted.”That “assisted” category is something Lori thinks the industry should pay more attention to. It’s the middle ground between direct and sourced – where a partner helps accelerate or unblock a deal already in motion. “We should grant them some level of discount or recognition for that,” she said. “That’s how we foster collaboration.”Partnering for Growth1Password’s next phase of growth will come through expanding partnerships globally, with distribution in Europe and Asia Pacific playing key roles. “We’ve chosen the right distributor partners to help us grow in those regions,” she said. “It’s about thoughtful expansion and the right local relationships.”Lori’s career has spanned both large and fast-growing companies, and she brings that perspective to 1Password’s channel journey. “Each partner type has a different starting point,” she explained. “You can’t apply one playbook to all. Build playbooks based on the partner’s role and the customer they serve.”Her approach is both practical and deeply human – centered on clarity, collaboration, and consistent motion. “If you focus on alignment, ease, and measurement,” Lori said, “you build confidence on both sides. That’s what accelerates growth.”🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

Buyers today are exhausted. They face massive information overload, tangled internal processes, conflicting objectives across stakeholders, and creeping uncertainty about whether a purchased solution will actually deliver results. In practice, that means buyers who can plainly name the value of a vendor still bail at the finish line - “no decision” is the silent deal-killer. Brent Adamson and Karl Schmidt call that failure of buyer self-confidence the single biggest drag on growth, and their new book, The Framemaking Sale, is a practical prescription for fixing it.Brent and Karl both cut their teeth at CEB - the research organization whose work later folded into Gartner - where they led large, evidence-driven programs on sales and buyer behavior. Brent co-authored The Challenger Sale (2011), a landmark study that upended conventional wisdom by showing top reps win by teaching, tailoring, and taking control rather than by simply building relationships. Karl’s research leadership at CEB and later work alongside Brent has helped translate that research into practical playbooks for complex B2B GTM motions - a heritage you can hear clearly in their new work on frame-making. Two headline data points kicked off their thinking:* First, a disturbingly high share of even convinced buyers (roughly 40–60%) see deals die to no decision, not vendor preference* Second, about three quarters of B2B buyers would prefer a rep-free experience if they could, reflecting historic sales scar tissue and frustration with poorly designed buying journeys. Those patterns forced Brent and Karl to ask a simple question: what would it take for buyers to feel confident enough in their own decision to act - not just to believe in the vendor? Because we are all partner leaders, I pushed Brent and Karl to translate Framemaking into partner co-sell reality - how two or more sellers align on a single decision frame, share the buyer coaching load, and present a clear, bounded path that reduces buyer anxiety. The conversation landed on practical steps partners can take to coordinate playbooks, capture and share customer intelligence, and jointly guide buying groups so multi-partner deals close with less friction and more confidence. Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.What is frame-making?Frame-making is a mindset and set of practices that sellers - and partner teams - use to make complex decisions feel makeable. Instead of only persuading a buyer that “we’re the best,” frame-making helps buyers:* Identify the right question to ask* Narrow the noise to the few things that actually matter* Align internal stakeholders* Reduce uncertainty about outcomes so the buying group can act with low regret. In short: help the customer be confident in themselves, not just in you.Four buyer confidence failure modesBrent and Karl break decision pain into four patterns sellers should diagnose and address: decision complexity, information overload, objective misalignment, and outcome uncertainty. Each of these is a lever you can pull to reduce buyer anxiety - and each is supplier-agnostic, meaning the buyer’s problem isn’t “you” but the buying process itself. That’s why frame-making is as much a coaching practice as a sales technique.What this looks like in practicePractical frame-making starts with curiosity: ask buyers not about features, but about the internal questions that trip them up - procurement quirks, legal concerns, integration unknowns - then build a bounded, repeatable frame that narrows the conversation to the few things that matter. Brent gives a vivid example: instead of drowning buyers in 50 concerns, boil it down to “the three things we’ve seen that actually decide this purchase” and walk them through those checkpoints. That bounded framing prompts action while preserving the buyer’s agency.Why partners should carePartnerships increase solution power - but also decision complexity. Two vendors selling together can double a buyer’s anxiety unless the partnership is deliberate about coaching the buyer through joint decision steps. Brent recommends partner teams literally ask customers: “If you had to do this again, what would make it easier?” Those answers become the playbook for future joint go-to-market motions. Sharing intel across partners is a multiplier - it lets you predict and guide customers around known potholes.How to measure successFrame-making isn’t just soft-feelings. Target metrics include deal velocity, the ratio of definitive outcomes vs stalled deals, deal quality (size, scope, margin), and post-close sentiment (low regret, enthusiasm to work together). Look for faster “lose-fast” behavior too - if a deal isn’t winnable, surface that quickly so teams can reallocate effort. Those signals are leading indicators that the buyer has more confidence in their path forward.A humane spin on hard growthPerhaps the most powerful takeaway from Brent and Karl’s conversation is that doing right by buyers - leaving them feeling more confident about their decisions - is not just the ethical play, it’s the growth play. Show up as a decision coach, not a salesperson who simply pushes features; help buyers act sooner, decide better, and buy with less regret. The result is predictable: higher-quality wins, shorter cycles, and customers who call you first the next time something breaks.Try this this week* Pick one stalled deal and map which of the four confidence failure modes applies.* Ask the buying group one simple question: “What’s the one thing that would make this decision feel doable?” Then build a two-step frame to address it.* If you work with partners, run a 30-minute “post-win replay” and capture recommendations you can hand to new customers as a buyer-playbook.* Go to Amazon and buy the Framemaking Sale 😀Brent and Karl are on a simple but powerful mission: to make sales more human and decisions makeable - turning frantic procurement marathons into guided, confidence-building journeys. Their work isn’t about shortcutting rigor; it’s about helping buyers and sellers leave the table confident, satisfied, and regret free. When that happens, deals close faster and relationships last longer.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

When you ask Ron Piovesan, Head of Technology Partnerships at Okta, what makes a great partner motion, he doesn’t hesitate:“Partnership has to be about outsized value. It can’t be incremental value.”That single line captures much of what has made Okta’s ecosystem thrive.From 7,000 Integrations to Strategic AlliancesOkta’s ecosystem spans more than 7,000 technology integrations. But as Ron explains from Okta’s downtown San Francisco headquarters, his focus isn’t breadth – it’s depth.“Ten years ago, nobody called me back,” he laughs. “Now, the world has caught up – identity is at the center of every partnership conversation.”What began as a small integration team before Okta’s IPO has evolved into a sophisticated alliance engine. Ron and his team look for ISVs and cloud providers willing to go beyond API connections – those ready to co-innovate, co-market, and ultimately co-sell.The Customer as Your Best AllyAsked how he decides which partners to invest in, Ron doesn’t talk first about technology or contracts – he talks about customers.“Your biggest ally is always the customer. If customers are saying ‘Okta plus this ISV is a great story,’ we listen. That’s what drives investment.”It’s a simple truth easily overlooked: the best partnerships are market-pulled, not vendor-pushed. And it extends inside Okta as well. His favorite voices? Sales engineers. “They sit at the intersection of sales and technology. When they see something working in the field, I listen more than to anyone else.”A New Partnership: Okta × Google × OmnissaToday Okta announced a new tri-party partnership with Google and Omnissa (the new VMware spinoff). The “Work Transformation Set” combines Google Workspace productivity, Okta identity security, and Omnissa device management – all sold as one simplified solution through Google Marketplace.“What we heard from customers was clear,” Ron said. “They want best of breed tools – but they don’t want three vendors to deal with. So we’re giving them one place, one price, one procurable package.”It’s a perfect example of his co-innovation plus co-sell philosophy. Technology integration matters, but so does innovation in go-to-market – making it easier for customers to buy what they need when they need it.Marketplaces and Ease of ProcurementRon points out that enterprise buyers now expect the same experience as consumers – simple, instant, transparent purchasing.“Everyone’s been spoiled by Amazon and app stores. That demand for ease of procurement is moving into the enterprise. The best software in the world shouldn’t be hard to buy.”He sees marketplaces, enterprise license agreements, and commit-drawdown models as all part of the same trend: helping customers achieve their goals without friction.Co-Sell as a Pull, Not a PushIn his view, great co-sell motions don’t need constant management. “When you provide outsized value to the customer, sales teams lean in naturally. They’re pulling you in, not being pushed to ‘call your partner.’”He wants salespeople to see partner motions as the easiest path to win the deal faster – and that starts with customer value they can clearly articulate together.The Teacher MindsetOutside Okta, Ron teaches marketing and communications at USC and has taught at Stanford and Santa Clara University. Teaching, he says, is in his DNA. Both parents were teachers, and his earlier career in PR instilled a love of clear communication – a skill he sees as essential to partnering.He encourages students to see partners as a marketing channel: “Do your social media and your press releases, but make sure your partners are telling the same story.”He also brings a unique window into how young professionals view the world. Trust, he says, is the currency that’s hardest to earn and easiest to lose – and younger generations are more skeptical than ever. “The next generation of leaders will be super resilient and adaptable, but you have to earn their trust.”The Future of PartneringFrom co-innovation to co-sell, from AI identity to marketplace procurement, Ron believes partnership leaders are now core to how business gets done. What was once a press release and a happy hour is now central to product direction and sales strategy.“Partnership teams are no longer a side project,” he said. “We’re changing the product, changing the go-to-market. This is how we do business.”Closing ThoughtFor those building partnership organizations, Ron Piovesan’s message is clear: focus on outsized customer value, make procurement easy, and build trust every step of the way. That’s what turns an integration into a true partnership.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

Few companies illustrate the power of partnership better than Okta. At the heart of its cloud strategy is a deep collaboration with AWS – a partnership that’s delivered over $1 billion in marketplace transactions and continues to expand across co-sell, integrations, and AI.In this episode of Inside Partnering, I sat down at Okta’s San Francisco headquarters with Josh Greene, Area Vice President of Cloud Alliances, to explore how Okta is evolving its cloud relationships, driving measurable results, and preparing for the next wave of innovation.Josh joined Okta after five years at AWS, where he helped ISVs build and scale their marketplace businesses. “It really feels like everything I’ve done led me back to this,” he told me. “Working in channels, marketplaces, and identity – it all connects at Okta.”Building on a strong foundationOkta’s marketplace business was already mature when Josh arrived, but he quickly saw new opportunities to expand the partnership’s scope. “We had this incredible foundation,” he said. “Now it’s about unlocking other parts of value – beyond marketplace – to make the relationship even stronger.”That includes tightening co-sell alignment, deepening integrations, and using data to reveal where joint selling delivers the most impact. “When sales leaders see a higher close rate or larger deals when we co-sell with AWS, they might not need to know all the reasons why,” Josh explained. “But the evidence speaks for itself.”Co-selling with dataOkta’s global cloud alliances team manages co-sell, co-invest, and co-market motions worldwide. A key focus is using marketplace and pipeline data to refine joint plays. “We have a treasure trove of information,” Josh said. “When we share opportunities with AWS, we can see which customers are marketplace-inclined and how strong the relationship already is.”That data-driven visibility allows Okta to test hypotheses – to see which use cases convert better, which campaigns perform, and where renewal rates improve. “It creates real buy-in from the sales organization,” he added.Better together storiesA big emphasis for 2025 is sharpening Okta + AWS “better together” stories by industry. The team began with a small set – two each for Okta and Auth0 – covering integrations like Amazon Bedrock and Amazon Q. The next step is industry refinement: tailoring those stories for healthcare, finance, and public sector audiences where specificity matters.Customers now expect solutions aligned to their vertical needs, and AWS has re-organized its field teams accordingly. Josh noted, “If we’re not aligned internally about how we pursue opportunities, the message to AWS or customers can get watered down.” His team has focused on cross-functional alignment with field, product, and industry marketing leaders to ensure those joint use cases land.The AI waveNo partnership conversation today is complete without AI. Okta and AWS are working together to integrate identity into emerging agentic AI use cases. “AI and agents are the next wave,” Josh said. “It’s like the growth of SaaS or mobile work – every company is confronting it, and it’s creating the next phase of potential for Okta and Auth0.”Integrations with Bedrock and Q are already generating pipeline and new wins. “It’s seeding use cases that are awesome, honestly,” he added.Looking aheadOkta’s cloud alliance strategy demonstrates what’s possible when data, alignment, and trust converge. The billion-dollar marketplace milestone was a headline, but Josh is now focused on what’s next: “We’ll keep growing marketplace revenue – but also unlock other parts of value from the partnership that catch up in maturity.”For anyone leading alliances or marketplace strategy, this conversation offers a blueprint – measurable value, tighter alignment, and constant innovation.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

When it comes to partnerships, few people have seen the industry evolve quite like Margaret Adam. After 14 years as a leading ecosystem analyst at IDC, she then helped Salesforce scale its massive partner GTM and is now shaping the future of the channel as Director of Product Marketing at Channelscaler.I chatted with Margaret at the El PRADO Hotel in Palo Alto, just ahead of Channelscaler’s first major event since rebranding from Channel Mechanics, to talk about what’s next for the partner ecosystem - from AI and marketplaces to attribution and incentives.Margaret’s keynote at the event centered on one question: How do we make AI real?The industry is buzzing with AI announcements and pilots, but as she notes, “95% of GenAI pilots fail to show ROI in the first six months.” Her focus is helping partner leaders cut through the noise and apply AI in ways that actually drive value today.“It’s about making it tangible,” she says. “Looking at your partner strategy, your programs, your people, and your PRM - and finding where AI can deliver real impact now.”That means starting small and staying practical. Partner ops teams, she points out, are lean - sometimes just one or two people managing operations for a global network of partners. AI can be a powerful force multiplier, automating the repetitive tasks that bog down partner ops and freeing up time for strategy and relationship building.A highlight from her keynote is an example from ThoughtSpot, where the go-to-market team - not engineers - ran an AI hackathon. Within days, they built nine field-ready sales agents to handle things like competitive insights and content guidance. The result wasn’t just efficiency, but excitement. “Once people see what’s possible,” she says, “light bulbs go on.”Beyond AI, Margaret sees major shifts happening in marketplaces and co-sell. What once started as an experiment is now a core sales motion. “Marketplace is becoming the engine for enterprise procurement,” she says. “The challenge now is how you incentivize sellers and attribute partner impact in that environment.”Attribution, she emphasizes, remains one of the most complex topics in partnering - especially when so many contributors are non-transactional. But unified, high-quality data is the foundation for solving it. “AI is only as good as the data it sits on,” she notes. “If your systems aren’t connected, you can’t trigger the right actions or measure true performance.”Her perspective is grounded in decades of experience - from helping define “the cloud” at IDC to leading ecosystem GTMs at Salesforce and now driving innovation at Channelscaler. The company’s rebrand unites two well-known partner tech firms, Allbound and Channel Mechanics, and this event served as their official coming-out party. Margaret announced new AI-powered capabilities including a Deal Reg Agent and MDF Concierge, now live in market.“We’re bringing a unified, modern experience to customers,” she says. “It’s not just about platform consolidation - it’s about driving innovation and real outcomes.”From her analyst days to her current operator role, Margaret’s passion for the partner ecosystem is clear. “It’s a real community,” she smiles. “I’ve been in it my whole career - and it’s still evolving every day.”🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

I had a fantastic LIVE conversation yesterday with Balaji Subramanian at the El PRADO Hotel in Palo Alto during Channelscaler’s partner-focused AI event. What stood out all day was a practical, product-first approach to AI in the channel. Balaji, Channelscaler’s Chief Partner Officer, framed the day around a simple but powerful operating model - the four Ps - and then walked us through concrete use cases that show how AI is already reducing friction and accelerating partner revenue.“If you don’t drive customer value, you lose relevance very quickly - focus on customer outcomes and the partner program becomes meaningful.”Start with the why: partners and customers. Channelscaler brought customers from CrowdStrike, Broadcom and Optiv to the event because real-world stories make the technology meaningful. When those customers describe replacing long, manual processes with lightweight AI agents, the conversation moves from abstract hype to measurable outcomes. Balaji shared an example where a six-step deal registration process had four of those steps automated - roughly 70% of the manual work removed. The result? Faster registrations, fewer handoffs, and quicker conversion. That’s revenue acceleration - plain and simple.A second use case everyone nodded at was MDF. Marketing development funds have always been paperwork-heavy - proposals, multi-level approvals, reconciliation and payment. Channelscaler built an “MDF agent” that streamlines that whole cycle, cutting approval friction and shortening time-to-fund and time-to-execution. For partners, the difference is material: they can propose, run campaigns, report results, and get paid with far less manual back-and-forth. For vendors, it’s better visibility into spend and outcomes. The ROI is operational and relational.Lead distribution is a third practical example. We all know the pain: leads are handed out, they sit, or they go to the wrong partner. Channelscaler’s approach uses partner profiles - industry focus, competencies, past customers - to match leads to the best-fit partner automatically. That reduces lead latency and improves conversion because the partner receiving the lead is actually positioned to win it. Balaji put it simply: “Make it easy to do business with you, and partners will wake up thinking about you instead of some other vendor they work with.”Of course, the technical bits matter - and Balaji rightly emphasized governance and data quality. AI tools amplify whatever you feed them, so a disciplined data strategy and governance around policy, roles, and auditing are non-negotiable. Balaji’s advice:“Start small with pilots, focus on data quality and governance, and scale the automations that make it easier for partners to do business with you.”Channelscaler’s organization changes also signal focus: a founder moving into the CTO role, new leadership across finance, sales and marketing, and a sharpened emphasis on partnerships as the growth lever. Balaji’s remit is clear - enable the partners that matter, help them win, and the company wins with them. That people-first mindset, combined with targeted automation, is the playbook many partner teams should emulate.If you work in alliances, channel ops, or partner programs, this conversation is practical and worth your time. You’ll come away with tactical examples you can test in weeks (not years) and a reminder that governance and data hygiene are the foundation under every successful AI roll-out. We’re only at the start of the journey, but Balaji’s message is clear: make it meaningful, make it easy, and measure the results.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

The tech partner ecosystem is experiencing one of the most dramatic shifts in decades. Generative AI, agentic frameworks, and security innovations are reshaping how enterprises build, deploy, and consume software. AWS Marketplace is at the center of the transition, where independent software vendors (ISVs) are scaling their solutions in collaboration with AWS.In this episode of Inside Partnering, I sat down with Vineet Anshuman, Worldwide Partner Leader for Security and AI in AWS Marketplace. Vineet has built his career at the intersection of telecom, infrastructure, and cloud – and today he’s helping ISVs harness AWS’s platform to deliver the next wave of intelligent, secure solutions.The Acceleration of AIVineet noted that in 2023 most ISVs were running proof-of-concepts in AI. By 2024, production deployments had become mainstream. And in 2025, we’ve entered what he calls the “agentic AI era” – software infused with autonomous AI capabilities.“It feels like this all happened yesterday,” Vineet said. “Every month or six weeks, the landscape completely changes.”The market potential is staggering: $280 billion in AI and security opportunities, with 95% expected to flow through partnerships. That’s why AWS and its partners are leaning in aggressively to build differentiated solutions together.Co-Build, Co-Sell, Co-MarketAWS has long championed the co-build, co-sell, and co-market framework. For ISVs, that means access not only to AWS’s infrastructure and models through services like Bedrock and SageMaker, but also to go-to-market engines that drive adoption and customer success.New innovations like AgentCore are simplifying how partners build and scale AI agents. By breaking down complex tasks into structured steps, AgentCore helps ISVs accelerate time-to-value, ensure consistent reasoning frameworks, and reduce engineering overhead.“Agent Core simplifies development, provides consistent reasoning, and reduces complexity – helping partners scale agentic AI faster and with more confidence.”The launch of the Agentic AI Marketplace this year was another milestone. More than 900 partners joined at launch, making it seamless to package and transact agents just like applications. For ISVs, that means faster routes to market and greater visibility with enterprise buyers.Industry-Specific MomentumVineet emphasized that the agentic shift isn’t limited to horizontal use cases. AWS and AWS partners are deeply engaged in industry verticals – from supply chain optimization in automotive, to clinical workflow automation in healthcare, to multi-agent media workflows in entertainment.Through AWS’s industry sprint initiatives, partners are able to adapt core offerings to vertical use cases, backed by AWS field teams and industry expertise.Security as a Business EnablerSecurity remains the foundation. Vineet described a three-legged stool of “AI for security, security for AI, and security from AI.” AWS has extended its well-known shared responsibility model into AI, giving partners reference architectures and governance frameworks for safe deployments.“We don’t want security to be a bottleneck,” he explained. “We want it to be seamless and transparent – turning security into a business enabler.”Looking AheadAs AI and security converge, Vineet sees AWS and its partners creating trusted environments where enterprises can deploy agents at scale, with confidence in both innovation and protection. “Our goal is to empower organizations to build the most useful AI agents, reliably and securely, while helping them expand their business.”For partner leaders, this conversation is a roadmap to the future of AI collaboration. If you’re building in AI, security, or marketplace go-to-market, this episode is packed with insights.Enjoy the full conversation here!🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.🎧 Want more conversations like this?💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.comCheck out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

At the Partnership Leaders Catalyst Summit in San Francisco, I had the opportunity to sit down with Estelle Smith, Global GSI Alliance Lead at Semperis. Estelle has built a remarkable career across IBM, Oracle, Workday, and Fortanix before joining Semperis, where she is helping the company scale its global partnerships in the critical space of identity protection.Cybersecurity is a fast-growing sector, with identity protection at the center. Nine out of ten cyberattacks target identity infrastructure. Semperis specializes in protecting and recovering identities across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, and their go-to-market approach is striking: 100% partner-led.Why Partner-Led MattersEstelle explained that for Semperis to succeed, they need to be the “easy button” for their partners. That means enabling GSIs and MSPs with training, certifications, and a clear partner program. It also means aligning with how partners go to market - whether as resellers, managed service providers, or solution influencers.The company takes a twofold approach:* Top-down: building a global program that adapts to regional nuances.* Bottom-up: driving account-level engagement and winning a few key deals to build momentum.This balance allows Semperis to build credibility, prove value, and attract the attention of large GSIs by showing demonstrated success.Focus Over FrenzyOne of Estelle’s guiding principles is focus. Instead of chasing dozens of partners, Semperis invests in a small subset of GSIs. By starting with two or three wins and broadcasting that success across the partner’s organization, they create a flywheel effect that scales influence and trust.She also highlighted the importance of regional systems integrators (SIs). These “sharks and minnows,” as she described them, can be nimble and effective early partners. By proving success with regional players, Semperis develops playbooks and case studies that make it easier to engage larger GSIs later.Measuring SuccessPartnerships thrive when success is measurable. For Estelle, that includes tracking:* Partner-sourced opportunities* Partner-influenced deals* Renewal rates* Customer-driven pull from GSIs“You can’t manage what you can’t measure,” Estelle said, underscoring the importance of data to validate strategy and demonstrate ROI.Why GSIs Want to Work with SemperisThree factors make Semperis especially attractive to partners:* Market Growth: Cybersecurity is growing at double digits annually.* Enterprise Customers: Semperis already has large customers in place.* Product Fit: Their solutions protect the most targeted area of enterprise infrastructure - identity.As Estelle put it, the combination of growth, proof, and alignment makes GSIs want to lean in rather than be chased.Lessons for Partner LeadersEstelle’s story offers valuable lessons for anyone building strategic alliances:* Stay partner-led by design, not by accident.* Balance global strategy with local execution.* Focus on fewer, deeper relationships rather than spreading thin.* Celebrate and amplify early wins to build credibility.* Measure and communicate impact relentlessly.Semperis’ journey demonstrates that when a company commits fully to its partners, it creates a multiplier effect that drives growth for everyone involved.This episode is a must-listen for partner leaders navigating complex ecosystems, especially in fast-moving industries like cybersecurity.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.🎧 Want more conversations like this?Check out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

At the Partnership Leaders Catalyst event in San Francisco earlier this month, I had the chance to chat with Jordan Spiers, Vice President of Strategic Alliances at CloudAware. With a career spanning roles at Vonage, New Relic, and IBM’s Bluewolf, Jordan has built a reputation as someone who understands how to take partnerships from reactive to truly strategic.In our conversation, Jordan shared how CloudAware is helping large enterprises - often spending $50M to $100M+ annually on cloud infrastructure - manage multi-cloud environments with a “single pane of glass” platform. But what stood out most was his philosophy for building partnerships that last.From Reactive to ProactiveWhen Jordan joined CloudAware, many of the company’s partnerships had grown opportunistically. If a customer needed an integration, the team would build it, sometimes without thinking about broader opportunities. Jordan has flipped that script. His team now takes a proactive approach: analyzing customer data, identifying future use cases, and developing partnerships that anticipate where the market is headed.“It’s about creating future-proof partnerships,” Jordan explained. “We want to understand the arc of where our customers are going and build for that - not just today’s needs.”Co-Build, Co-Market, Co-SellOne of the frameworks Jordan uses to organize his team is simple but powerful: co-build, co-market, co-sell. Each partnership motion needs technical collaboration, marketing alignment, and sales execution. By breaking down responsibilities this way, CloudAware ensures that joint solutions aren’t just built - they’re adopted, marketed, and sold in the field.This clarity also helps with measurement. While the ultimate goal is revenue, Jordan is quick to note the value of tracking KPIs across each pillar - from number of joint solutions developed, to campaigns launched, to pipeline influenced.Success Stories with AWS and BeyondJordan shared that AWS has been a particularly strong partner, especially when it comes to collaborating with services and solutions teams. Together, they’ve built proof-of-concepts for customers that blend CloudAware’s governance platform with AWS native services - sometimes even pulling in other ISVs or SIs to create tri-party solutions.“It’s not just about driving AWS consumption,” Jordan said. “It’s about solving specific technical use cases that matter to customers.”What impressed me is how Jordan keeps multiple hyperscaler partnerships in balance. CloudAware works with AWS, Azure, GCP, and others, but Jordan likens his approach to “playing Switzerland.” Rather than favoring one provider, the focus is on giving customers choice and meeting them where they are.The Power of Clear GoalsJordan began our conversation with advice that applies to any partnership leader: always write down your goals and KPIs - for your team and your partner’s team. They don’t have to be identical, but they must be explicit. Without shared understanding, misalignment is inevitable.As Jordan put it: “I’ve made the mistake of assuming alignment before, and it doesn’t work. You have to map out roles, goals, and responsibilities across both sides.”Final ThoughtsJordan Spiers offers a great reminder that partnerships succeed when they are intentional, measured, and built with the customer at the center. Whether through proactive planning, the co-build/co-market/co-sell framework, or balancing hyperscaler politics, his approach is grounded in clarity and collaboration.For anyone leading alliances in today’s ecosystem-driven world, Jordan’s story offers both inspiration and a practical playbook.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.🎧 Want more conversations like this?Check out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com

In the world of partnerships, few stories are as intertwined with a platform’s growth as ServiceRocket’s journey with Atlassian. In this episode of Inside Partnering, I sat down with Rob Castaneda, Founder and CEO of ServiceRocket, to explore how he built a thriving business by staying true to reliability, mindset, and service excellence.Rob’s story begins in Sydney, where he founded CustomWare, the precursor to ServiceRocket. When Atlassian made the strategic choice to focus solely on product and leave services to the ecosystem, Rob’s team stepped up to fill the gap. Over the years, ServiceRocket built Atlassian’s first training programs, ran its early support desk, and helped customers adopt and scale the tools that today power innovation across industries.In 2008, Rob moved the company to Silicon Valley, rebranded to ServiceRocket, and never looked back. Today, the company has over 250 employees across offices in Palo Alto, Sydney, Santiago, Kuala Lumpur, Toronto, and beyond. Along the way, ServiceRocket has won Atlassian’s Co-Sell Excellence Award, recognition that Rob treasures not just as an achievement, but as validation of his team’s approach.The Shift from Product-Led Growth to Enterprise Co-SellAtlassian’s evolution from pure product-led growth to enterprise co-sell required a new way of thinking. As Rob put it, “What got you here won’t get you there.” Partners who thrived in transactional, volume-driven environments suddenly had to adopt multi-year roadmaps, centers of excellence, and more strategic engagements. For ServiceRocket, this shift wasn’t just about adapting to Atlassian’s changes but reimagining how they created value for customers.Reliability as the Brand PromiseWhen asked what drove ServiceRocket’s recognition as a co-sell leader, Rob pointed to reliability. He described every engagement with Atlassian’s sales teams as a bet: account managers are putting their reputations and quotas on the line when they bring in a partner. Rob’s mindset? ServiceRocket must always be the safe bet.“Our goal is not to be the biggest, but to be the most reliable partner.”That focus extends beyond customers to employees, or “Rocketeers.” Inspired by service leaders like the Ritz-Carlton, Rob emphasizes treating employees well so that they, in turn, treat customers with excellence. “If employees are treated well, they’ll treat customers well, and the brand will thrive.” Open Ecosystems and Paying It ForwardAnother theme Rob highlighted was his philosophy of abundance within the partner ecosystem. Rather than seeing peers as competitors, he believes in building the ecosystem together. At Atlassian events, he has even led training sessions for new partners, sharing his playbook openly. His reasoning is simple: ServiceRocket can’t do all the work, and the bigger competition isn’t fellow Atlassian partners, but other software platforms fighting for enterprise attention.This abundance mindset reflects Rob’s deep involvement in entrepreneurial communities like EO ( Entrepreneurs Organization) and YPO, where he both learns from peers and mentors new founders. His belief: strong partner ecosystems depend on strong leaders.Looking AheadTwo decades in, ServiceRocket remains founder-led and self-funded, a rarity in today’s venture-driven ecosystem. For Rob, that independence helps maintain quality and stay true to the company’s brand promise. Every engagement is something we must earn – with Atlassian, customers, and our own employees.”With Atlassian at the center of how the world’s most innovative companies build products, ServiceRocket’s role as a trusted partner is more important than ever.As Rob embarks on a literal world tour, celebrating milestones like the company’s 20th anniversary in Malaysia, his story is a reminder of what’s possible when mindset, culture, and ecosystem focus come together.🎙️ Inside Partnering is a podcast for ecosystem builders, alliance leaders, and the people shaping the future of partnerships.Let’s build the future of partnering - together.🎧 Want more conversations like this?Check out all 90+ episodes at InsidePartnering.com💌 Subscribe to get new episodes and behind-the-scenes insights: insidepartnering.substack.com🔗 Follow Chip on LinkedIn for daily partnership content and guest clipsKnow someone Chip should interview? Send a quick email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit insidepartnering.substack.com