Rubrik’s Blueprint for Turning Co-sell Wins into Sustainable Growth

Co-selling with Microsoft Webinar Recap Part 2

Remember that feeling when you land your first big co-sell win? Rubrik knows it well.

In Part 1 of our webinar recap, we dove into how Rubrik’s strategic ‘co-sell first’ mentality helped them score initial success. Now we’re pulling back the curtain on the operational playbook that helped Rubrik’s team:

• Move from one-off wins to predictable pipelines
• Build trust with Microsoft reps
• Create processes that scale that eliminate operational headaches

Here’s how Rubrik made it happen—and how your team can put these strategies to work.

 

The scaling paradox: why do more deals require more discipline?

You may think the more deals, the better, right? But when Rubrik first expanded their co-sell program, they discovered the opposite is true: increased volume threatened to dilute quality. 

“Early on, we flooded Microsoft with every Azure-related opportunity,” shared Jasmine Kronk, Head of Global Alliances at Rubrik. “The result? Overwhelmed reps, missed follow-ups, and worst of all, eroded credibility when deals went stale.” 

Early attempts to share every Azure-related opportunity led to:

• Microsoft reps struggling to prioritize engagements
• Internal confusion about which deals warranted follow-up
• Missed renewals when outdated pipeline went unchecked

“We had to shift from ‘let’s co-sell everything’ to ‘let’s co-sell right,’” Jasmine explained.

 

Rubrik’s 3-tier filter

To fix this, Rubrik implemented the following co-sell qualification criteria:

1. Strategic alignment: Focused on industries where Rubrik’s solutions drove measurable Azure consumption
2. Deal readiness: Set minimum ACV thresholds and required technical validation
3. Resource matching: Ensured Microsoft field teams had relevant expertise

“It felt counterintuitive to share fewer deals initially,” Jasmine explained. “But when Microsoft started trusting that every Rubrik-shared opportunity was worth their time, everything changed.” 

Within a year, Rubrik’s co-sell acceptance rates improved by 40%, proving that in co-selling, quality trumps quantity every time.

 

How Rubrik turned co-selling into a well-oiled machine

With qualification criteria established, Rubrik faced its next challenge: turning disciplined intent into daily practice. 

As Colton Lindelof, a Partner Success Manager at Tackle, observed, “the gap between ‘we should co-sell’ and ‘we are co-selling effectively’ usually comes down to one thing: who owns the data hygiene?”

Here’s how Rubrik closed that gap:

The CRM trick that saves Rubrik a ton of time

Rubrik’s CRM became their single source of truth, with every co-sell opportunity automatically tagged with:

• Partner Center IDs tracking for every co-sell opportunity
• Microsoft rep ownership and last-touchpoint dates
• Real-time pipeline updates to flag stale deals

Tackle helped make this operationalization happen. “Before Tackle, we’d discover expired deals weeks too late,” Jasmine recalled. “Now our sellers see real-time co-sell status beside each opportunity. It’s transformed how we collaborate.”

 

“Why our Microsoft reps now come to us”

The operational rigor enabled cultural shifts. Where early co-sell calls felt like interrogations (“Microsoft barely knew who we were,” Jasmine laughed), today’s conversations look a little bit different.

“Now it’s ‘Hey Rubrik, we’ve got a customer perfect for your solution.’ That trust only comes from consistent execution over time.”

 

The three metrics Rubrik watches like a hawk

Rubrik consistently tracks three key indicators to make sure its co-sell efforts are successful:

1. Connection rates: Percentage of shared deals where meaningful collaboration occurs
2. Deal acceptance speed: How quickly Microsoft engages on qualified opportunities
3. Influenced AVC: Deal size uplift when Microsoft participates early

But as Jasmine emphasized, “The real metric is embedded trust. We’ve reached the stage where Microsoft brings us into deals we didn’t even know existed.”

 

Use Rubrik’s playbook: 3 steps to scale your co-sell

For ISVs ready to operationalize co-sell, here’s Rubrik’s blueprint:

1. Start small to move fast

Pilot 3-5 ‘lighthouse’ deals where Microsoft’s involvement could genuinely accelerate outcomes. From there, you can use those to build your playbook before scaling.

“Trying to boil the ocean upfront just creates noise. Prove the model works, then expand,” Jasmine explained.

2. Automate the invisible work

Make things easy on yourself and use tools like Tackle to handle:

• • MSX updates and pipeline hygiene
  • Win/loss notifications
  • Bi-weekly performance reports

3. Align metrics to business outcomes

Tie your co-sell efforts to:

• • Pipeline velocity
  • Renewal rates
  • ACV growth

Lessons from Rubrik’s journey

Rubrik’s co-sell success proves that sustainable growth comes from systematically building trust, not just chasing deal volume. Their approach of combining opportunity qualification, automated CRM processes, and outcome-focused measurement transformed isolated victories into a repeatable, expanding pipeline.

Ready to transform your co-sell motion? See how Tackle automates the heavy lifting here.

Missed the session? Watch the full recording here.