Why I Joined an Advisory Firm Focused on SaaS Technology Partnerships

 

I have been asked by numerous friends and colleagues why I joined PartnerReady™ as it's Managing Director & CRO. Why not just join another tech startup as it's head of partnerships? The easy, safe route in my career path.   

It's a great question. So why not continue to pursue roles at individual tech companies? I mean, I have been in a variety of partner leadership roles in the tech industry for over a decade now, and I am at the pinnacle of my profession. So it would be relatively straightforward to go into the next company and layout a strategy, team, and execution plan. I'm at that "been there, done that" stage that I think many experienced leaders ultimately face in their respective careers.   

Well, before starting at PartnerReady, I pondered this notion quite a bit. A strategist by trade and experience, I looked at the subject from many different angles before deciding to go all-in:

First, I realized that my friends are right; I am at the pinnacle of my chosen profession, BUT...it would be a shame to use it in just one company. A good partnership leader is hard to find, and I have valuable information that can benefit many companies.

Second, I have long held the notion that many SaaS technology founders & leaders do not understand partnerships. It is not a weakness on their part, but a lack of exposure to what partner programs are supposed to do. Most leaders simply lack experience in how a partner strategy should be developed and nurtured. Plus, partnership management has been an inexact science and has not organized as a true profession track, so it is hard for leaders to know what to do or how to benchmark success. Since I have long felt the desire or urge to help startup leaders become more educated and knowledgeable about this part of a company's strategy, PartnerReady provides me an excellent opportunity to do so.

Third, partnerships are becoming more critical than ever in the SaaS technology world. Influential thought leaders, like Jay McBain from Forrester, are proclaiming the world is moving to the "third stage of sales & marketing", which is an increasing need for SaaS companies to embrace channels and ecosystems. In my personal experience, the SaaS "direct sales/customer success," playbook is getting a little long in the tooth. I see and believe that SaaS companies that are only using this one playbook are starting to have "Crossing the Chasm" issues. Getting to the "Last Mile" of the target customer base is getting to be more difficult because there are so many SaaS companies running the same playbook. Partnerships & ecosystems have the real opportunity to create paradigm shifts in the market for companies willing to properly invest.

​So my ultimate answer? I came here because I am excited to share my knowledge, techniques, and strategies with the next generation of technology companies. I want to be directly in the middle of this exciting market transformation and to help PartnerReady become a catalyst for success in the SaaS space. It's an exciting time, and I have so much to share.   

​I am looking forward to the journey ahead!