Partnership Strategy

---
name: partnership-strategy
description: >-
  Designs a partner program: partner types, recruitment, enablement,
  co-marketing, and revenue-share models. Use when the user is starting or
  restructuring a partner, reseller, or channel program. Triggers on:
  "partnership strategy", "partner program", "channel partnerships", "build
  partnerships", "partner-led growth".
license: MIT
compatibility: Claude Code, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Goose, Hermes, Windsurf, Zed
metadata:
  version: "1.0.0"
  author: LeadMagic
  category: partnerships
  tags: [partnerships, partner-program, channel, co-marketing, alliances]
  frameworks:
    - "Bob Moore — Ecosystem-Led Growth"
    - "Crossbeam — Account mapping"
    - "Jay McBain (Canalys) — Partner ecosystem influence"
  related_skills: [partner-programs, co-marketing, integration-partnerships, sales-enablement]
---

# Partnership Strategy

## Overview

Partnerships can become a measurable GTM motion when both sides share a customer
or prospect context and define a joint value exchange. Results and economics vary
by motion; this skill avoids universal pipeline or CAC promises and covers the
operating system needed to test the channel.

## Authoritative Foundations
- **Bob Moore — Ecosystem-Led Growth** — Put partner ecosystem data at the center of account mapping, co-selling, and attribution; share only approved segments.
- **Crossbeam — Account mapping** — Find overlapping customers and prospects with each partner to decide who to recruit and where to co-sell.
- **Jay McBain (Canalys) — Partner ecosystem influence** — Map every partner type that influences the buyer (referral, reseller, integration, services) before designing tiers and incentives.

## When to Use

- "Build a partner program"
- "Partnership strategy"
- "Channel partner program"
- "Partner-led growth"

## Step-by-Step Process

### Phase 1: Partner Type Selection

- **Integration partners:** Your product integrates with theirs. Co-marketing,
  co-selling. Easiest to start. "Customers who use [Partner] + [You] get [value]."
- **Referral partners:** Agencies, consultants, freelancers who recommend tools.
  Pay % of first-year revenue. Low-touch to manage.
- **Reseller partners:** Sell your product to their customers. White-label or
  co-branded. Higher touch; model margin and support obligations from actual unit economics.
- **Technology partners:** Complementary (not competitive) tools. Shared customer
  base. Joint roadmap, deep integration.
- **Strategic alliances:** Enterprise partnerships. Exclusive. Long sales cycle
  to set up, massive payoff.

### Phase 2: Partner Recruitment

- **Ideal Partner Profile (IPP):** Who has your ICP before you do? Agencies,
  consultants, complementary tools, industry associations.
- **Outbound recruitment:** "Your clients ask you about [problem] — we solve it.
  Let's build a referral relationship."
- **Inbound recruitment:** Partner page on your website, partner application form,
  promote in your network.
- **Customer → Partner:** Your power users often become your best partners.

### Phase 3: Partner Enablement

- **Partner portal:** Deal registration, training materials, co-branded assets,
  pipeline tracking
- **Certification:** Product certification program. Certified partners get higher
  commissions and better leads.
- **Sales playbook:** How to position your product, who to sell to, objection
  handling, demo script
- **Co-marketing:** Joint webinars, co-branded case studies, shared booth at events

### Phase 4: Partner Economics

- **Referral:** Set a time-bounded fee from contribution margin, attribution, and local rules.
- **Reseller:** Model margin against enablement, support, discounting, and channel conflict.
- **Agency/Consultant:** Monthly retainer + % of influenced revenue
- **Strategic:** Custom deal, equity possible at early stage
- **Key metric:** Partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline as a percentage
  of eligible pipeline, reported separately with documented attribution rules.

### Phase 5: Partner Management

- **Tier system:** Silver → Gold → Platinum based on revenue influenced
- **QBRs:** Quarterly business reviews with top 20% of partners
- **Partner success manager:** Dedicated person at 30+ active partners
- **Kill criteria:** Partners who refer 0 deals in 6 months → re-evaluate or remove

## Output Format

Partnership strategy document with: partner types and tiers, IPP definition,
recruitment plan, enablement program, economics model, and management framework.

## Quality Check

Before delivering, verify:

- [ ] All required sections are complete
- [ ] Output matches the user's stated need
- [ ] Named frameworks are cited for key recommendations
- [ ] No vague claims — every recommendation has a specific action
- [ ] Deliverable is ready for operational use, not just conceptual

## Common Pitfalls

1. **Skipping research.** Building output without understanding the specific context. Fix: always gather required inputs before producing deliverables.
2. **Generic output.** "Improve your process" without concrete steps. Fix: every recommendation must include a specific action, timeline, and owner.
3. **Missing framework citations.** Advice without named authorities. Fix: ground every recommendation in a cited framework from a recognized authority.

## Execution Artifacts

- `references/framework-notes.md` — named frameworks, citation anchors, and operating assumptions
- `templates/output-template.md` — copy-paste deliverable structure for the user
- `scripts/check-output.py` — local checklist validator for required sections
  This skill includes lightweight artifacts the agent can load on demand:
  Use the artifacts when the user asks for an implementation-ready deliverable, a repeatable workflow, or a quality check rather than generic advice.

## Implementation Depth

Use this section when the user asks for a finished asset, not a high-level explanation.

### Diagnostic Questions

1. What is the primary motion: founder-led, sales-led, product-led, partner-led, or lifecycle-led?
2. Which ICP tier is the output for: small business, mid-market, enterprise, or mixed?
3. What proof is available today: customer stories, usage data, third-party validation, screenshots, or none?
4. What system will execute the work: CRM, sequencer, warehouse, support desk, product analytics, or manual workflow?
5. What decision will the user make from this output: launch, prioritize, route, rewrite, score, coach, or measure?

### Framework Application

Map the recommendation explicitly to the named frameworks in this skill:

- Partnership Ecosystem Framework: apply only the part that directly improves the requested deliverable.
- Crossbeam Partner-Led Growth: apply only the part that directly improves the requested deliverable.
- Crossbeam — Ecosystem-Led Growth: apply only the part that directly improves the requested deliverable.

### Deliverable Standard

A strong output from this skill includes:

- A crisp diagnosis of the current situation
- A recommended path with tradeoffs, not a generic list
- A concrete artifact the user can use immediately: table, script, checklist, scorecard, sequence, dashboard spec, or implementation plan
- A measurement plan with leading and lagging indicators
- Risks and edge cases called out before execution

### Adaptation Rules

- For small business: reduce complexity, shorten time-to-value, and prioritize owner/operator clarity.
- For mid-market: include workflow ownership, handoffs, integrations, and enablement assets.
- For enterprise: include governance, risk, procurement, stakeholder mapping, and proof requirements.

## Related Skills

- partner-programs, co-marketing, integration-partnerships, channel-partnerships, sales-enablement