---
name: partnership-development
description: Find partners, structure deals, manage co-marketing, and revenue sharing. Use when building strategic alliances or channel partnerships.
domain: mindset
---

# Partnership Development

Framework for building strategic partnerships: finding partners, structuring deals, co-marketing, revenue sharing, and managing relationships.

## When to Use

- Building channel partnerships (resellers, affiliates, integrations)
- Strategic alliances (co-marketing, co-selling)
- Platform ecosystems (marketplace, app store)
- Distribution partnerships
- **When NOT to use**: One-off vendor relationships (procurement), or when building in-house capabilities is better

## Types of Partnerships

| Type | Purpose | Example |
|------|---------|---------|
| **Integration** | Product works better together | Slack + Google Drive |
| **Reseller** | Partner sells your product (commission) | AWS reselling cloud infra |
| **Affiliate** | Partner refers customers (% of sale) | Creator refers SaaS tool |
| **Co-marketing** | Joint content, events, campaigns | HubSpot + Shopify webinar |
| **Co-selling** | Joint sales motion (both teams sell) | Microsoft + consultancies |
| **Strategic** | Long-term alliance (R&D, market expansion) | Apple + Nike (Apple Watch) |

## Finding Partners

### Partner Fit Criteria

| Dimension | Question | Example |
|-----------|----------|---------|
| **Customer overlap** | Do we serve same ICP? | Both target mid-market SaaS |
| **Complementary** | Do we solve adjacent problems? | CRM + email marketing |
| **Brand alignment** | Do our brands fit? | Premium + premium, not premium + budget |
| **Scale match** | Similar company size/stage? | Both Series B, $10M ARR |

**Process**:
1. List 50 potential partners (brainstorm + research)
2. Score on fit criteria (1-5 on each dimension)
3. Prioritize top 10
4. Outreach (warm intro > cold email)

### Outreach Template

> Hi [Name],  
>   
> I'm [Your Role] at [Your Company]. We help [ICP] [solve problem].  
>   
> I noticed [Their Company] serves a similar audience. We think there's a natural partnership:  
> - **For your customers**: [Value they get from us]  
> - **For our customers**: [Value they get from you]  
>   
> Would a 20-min call make sense to explore? [Calendar link]  
>   
> Best,  
> [Your name]

---

## Partnership Tiers

**Structure**: Good / Better / Best tiers (like SaaS pricing).

| Tier | Commitment | Benefits | Example |
|------|------------|----------|---------|
| **Bronze** | Free listing in marketplace | Logo, link, basic support | API integration |
| **Silver** | Revenue share or co-marketing | Featured placement, co-webinar | Joint case study |
| **Gold** | Strategic alliance (contract) | Dedicated support, co-sell, revenue share | Exclusive partnership |

**Why tiers?** Start light (Bronze), expand as value proven (Silver/Gold).

---

## Deal Structure

### Revenue Share

**Model**: Partner gets % of revenue they drive.

**Formula**: `Partner Payout = Revenue × Commission %`

**Example**:
- Partner refers customer → $10K/year contract
- Commission: 20%
- Partner earns: $2K/year (or $2K one-time, depending on terms)

**Key decisions**:
- **Recurring or one-time?** (recurring aligns incentives long-term)
- **Gross or net revenue?** (net = after costs/refunds)
- **Attribution window?** (e.g., 90 days from referral)

---

### Co-Marketing

**Joint activities**:
- Co-hosted webinar (split registrations)
- Joint case study or whitepaper
- Cross-promotion (email lists, social)
- Booth at conference (split costs)

**Agreement**:
- Who owns leads? (usually: registrant's company keeps lead)
- How are costs split? (50/50 or weighted by benefit)
- Content approval process? (both review before publishing)

---

### Integration Partnership

**Technical work**:
- API integration (who builds? who maintains?)
- QA and support (who handles bugs?)
- Documentation (who writes?)

**Business terms**:
- Free or paid integration?
- Featured in marketplace?
- Joint go-to-market?

**Example**: Slack integrations are free, but partners can upsell premium features.

---

## Partnership Scorecard

**Metrics to track**:

| Metric | What It Measures | Example |
|--------|------------------|---------|
| **Leads generated** | Top-of-funnel | 50 leads/month |
| **Revenue influenced** | $ closed with partner | $100K ARR |
| **Revenue attributed** | $ directly from partner | $50K ARR |
| **NPS** | Partner satisfaction | 60 NPS |
| **Engagement** | Active usage of integration | 80% of customers use it |

**Review cadence**: Quarterly business review (QBR) with top partners.

---

## Escalation Paths

**When things go wrong**:

| Issue | Escalation |
|-------|------------|
| Technical bug | Partner support ticket → Eng escalation (SLA: 48h) |
| Contract dispute | Partnership manager → Legal review |
| Low performance | QBR → Renegotiate or exit |

**Key**: Define escalation paths upfront in partnership agreement.

---

## Common Rationalizations

| Rationalization | Reality |
|-----------------|---------|
| "More partners = more growth" | Quality > quantity. 3 active partners > 30 inactive. |
| "We don't need a contract" | Handshake deals fail. Document terms (revenue share, support, exit clause). |
| "They'll promote us for free" | Partners need incentives (revenue share, co-marketing value, or integration value). |
| "This partnership will close itself" | Partnerships need nurturing. Quarterly check-ins, joint planning, co-marketing execution. |

## Red Flags

- Partner won't commit to metrics or goals (no accountability)
- Deal structure is one-sided (only you give value, they take)
- No clear customer overlap (why would their customers care?)
- You're building the integration 100% (they invest nothing)
- Partner ghosted after signing (no follow-through)

## Verification

- [ ] Partner fit criteria scored (customer overlap, complementary, brand, scale)
- [ ] Deal structure documented (revenue share %, co-marketing plan, or integration scope)
- [ ] Metrics defined (leads, revenue, NPS, engagement)
- [ ] Quarterly business review (QBR) scheduled
- [ ] Escalation paths defined (bugs, disputes, low performance)
- [ ] Contract signed (terms, SLAs, exit clause)