Article · 8 min read

Why (and When) Strategic Partnerships Make Sense for SaaS Startups

Scott Maxwell · OpenView Free Beginner

An investor's readiness test rather than a how to, built around three blunt questions: are you ready, which partner type, and who owns it. Useful before you say yes to a first inbound partnership.

  • At early stage the CEO should own partnerships personally; hand off to a CMO or BD lead only at expansion stage.
  • Every partner should close a named gap: a product hole, cheaper acquisition, co-marketing reach, or M&A visibility.
  • Get your own GTM fully operational first, or a larger brand sees nothing worth partnering on.
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It answers 4 questions

  1. What does a partnerships person actually do all day?
  2. Is our product even ready for resellers?
  3. A much bigger company wants to partner with us. Should we say yes?
  4. When should we hire our first full time partnerships person, and what do we pay them?

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eChai Partner Brands The partnership →