Unlock Cloud GTM: Season 2, Episode 3 Key Takeaways
Partnership Leaders has become a go-to community for partner professionals navigating today’s evolving GTM landscape. With 2,000 members across 95 countries, they’re helping define what modern, partner-led growth really looks like.
In this episode of Unlock Cloud GTM, host Patrick Riley is joined by Tackle CEO John Jahnke and Asher Mathew, Co-Founder and CEO of Partnership Leaders, to unpack what it really takes to build a partner-led business.
From evolving partner functions to new approaches to go-to-market alignment, this episode explores why partnership strategy is becoming central to business strategy—and what companies need to do to keep up.
Partnerships have grown up and grown strategic
The structure of partnerships has matured. What was once fragmented across product, channel, and marketing functions is now increasingly consolidated into a unified approach.
As Patrick put it, “we used to talk about partnerships as an add-on to direct sales. Today, they’ve become core revenue drivers.”
Today’s best-in-class partner orgs:
- Own both product and GTM partnerships
- Invest in fully staffed partner functions with their own P&Ls
- Connect the dots between integrations, sales, and customer success
Companies like Avalara, ServiceNow, and Factorial are leading the way here, with fully staffed partner functions that drive real business results.
This change is driven in part by a new kind of partner leader: the builder. Over the past 6-7 years, companies have moved from relying solely on relationship-focused partner managers to also including more operational, revenue-minded leaders who can turn partnerships into scalable functions.
Ecosystem decisions are business decisions
One of the most resonant points Asher made: Your technology decisions are also your ecosystem decisions.
This lens is especially crucial for companies when choosing a cloud provider. When you build on cloud, you’re also opting into that cloud’s ecosystem—and opting out of others. That impacts your GTM motions, incentives, integrations, and more.
As John noted, these decisions are extremely strategic: “We’ve worked with companies making $100M+ commitments. You need to connect your customers and your target market to the cloud you choose, and understand how that aligns with your product roadmap and revenue goals.”
So, when making these decisions, you should take into account:
- Where your customers are today
- What incentives and integrations are available
- How your product and sales strategies align with that cloud’s motion
- Whether you’re committing to single-cloud or going multi-cloud
The takeaway? These conversations can’t stay siloed in partner or product teams—it’s a company-wide decision that affects every part of GTM. Decisions need to be anchored in broader business strategy discussions and partner leaders need a seat at that table.
Defining the Chief Partner Officer role
A recurring theme in the episode was the rise of the Chief Partner Officer (CPO). While this role is still emerging, it’s already clear that it matters who this person reports to and collaborates with.
Your CPO should be able to:
- Unify product and GTM partnership efforts
- Advocate at the executive level for partner-driven strategy
- Connect partner outcomes to core business metrics
While many companies can’t yet afford a CPO, the CEO may need to serve in that capacity during the early stages. As Asher put it, “If the CEO is the Chief GTM Officer, they’re also the de facto Chief Partner Officer.”
For organizations that do have a partner leader in place, John emphasized the importance of enabling them with tools, resources, and visibility needed to connect partnerships to revenue and retention outcomes.
Turning data into partner intelligence
As the conversation turned tactical, the group discussed how cloud and channel intent signals can help companies better route opportunities and enable partner teams.
John and Asher highlighted some of the core challenges:
- Too many teams still rely on CRM account-level data when the real insight lives in opportunity-level signals.
- It’s difficult to unify first-party, second-party, and third-party data across the buyer journey.
- Partner influence isn’t always captured by traditional attribution models.
John noted promising progress: sellers and marketers are beginning to merge intent signals in platforms like Salesforce to identify not just cloud propensity, but channel fit and partner alignment.
That said, there are ways to use data to improve partner decisions. Signals to pay attention to include:
- Cloud propensity: Is this account active with AWS, Azure, or GCP?
- Channel intent: Does this buyer typically work with resellers or MSPs?
- Partner overlap: What third-party partners are already working this account?
- Opportunity-level insight: Not just account fit, but who’s influencing the deal?
Partner teams are still underpowered in this area, but we’re moving toward a future where RevOps tools and intent signals converge—giving partner leaders better data to guide strategy.
Rethinking enablement and ecosystem standards
When it comes to execution, both leaders stressed the importance of partner enablement—especially as companies expand co-sell motions beyond just the cloud providers.
“It’s not enough to have partners. You need partners who are well-trained, aligned on your values, and equipped to drive outcomes,” Asher explained.
Whether you’re inserting a reseller into the sales process or working with service partners to influence opportunities, the key is to clearly communicate how your product fits into their motion and make it easy for them to engage.
As John shared, “Partner enablement isn’t a one-time task. It’s a long-term commitment that requires clear strategy, good data, and shared accountability.
Fundamentals first, then experiment
With so much buzz around AI, automation, and new marketplaces, it’s easy to get distracted by what’s new. But for companies looking to scale partner-led growth in a sustainable way, nailing the time-tested basics still matters. It’s like Asher said, “We need to go back to fundamentals and just do the things that work.”
Before introducing new routes to market or launching net-new initiatives, teams need a strong operational foundation.
To build a durable, partner-led business, companies should:
- Invest in strong product integrations
- Track and report on partner-influenced pipeline
- Align internally across sales, product, and strategy
- Focus on delivering value, not just chasing short-term revenue
There’s room to test and evolve, but companies that skip these fundamentals often struggle to gain traction—or keep it.
Asher and John’s advice for ISVs
So, what should you do if you’re just getting started? Whether you’re exploring your first cloud co-sell motion or building a partner ecosystem from scratch, the most important step is simply to start.
Here’s what Asher and John recommend:
- Talk to other companies who’ve done it
- Learn how your ICP buys and which partners already serve them
- Choose a motion that matches your stage—don’t model after a public company if you’re still pre-Series B
- Join a peer community like Partnership Leaders for support and insight
There’s no one-size-fits-all playbook, but there’s plenty of shared knowledge out there. The key is to find what fits, stay focused, and build momentum one motion at a time.
Liked this blog and want to learn more? Listen to the podcast episode here for the full conversation.
