Brian Jambor: Building a Partner Program From Zero | Supernode Conference 2022

So much has to go right in order to launch and scale a partner program. Who you report to can inform your partner program’s strategy and its success. The key performance indicators (KPIs) you’re responsible for will dictate where you invest and where you hold back — and, if the KPIs don’t match up with the possible return, it could impact how internal and external stakeholders perceive your ecosystem.

Brian Jambor, VP of Global Channel Programs at Uberall, retells a story of a momentous Father’s Day hike — a metaphor for the importance of gathering the resources each stakeholder needs, laying the foundation for success, and aligning your GTM teams throughout the lifecycle of a partnership and the development of your partner program. Jambor speaks about developing your partner program thesis, defining the inputs and outputs, the pros and cons of a centralized and decentralized org structure, and more.

Highlights:

  • 1:10: The annual father’s day death march, explained
  • 4:28: The first obstacle: the ascent
  • 5:15: The next obstacle: the tight squeeze
  • 6:19: The vision (the reason they pushed forward)
  • 7:07: They made it!
  • 7:20: The metaphor, explained: Are you on a partnership or a vendorship?
  • 8:15: Objectives and reporting structures
  • 10:30: How long it will take to execute your partnership strategy
  • 10:51: Establish a strong vision about how partnerships will be transformative to your strategy in the market
  • 11:20: Build the model appropriate to see results
  • 12:40: Ensure your org will provide the resources you need
  • 13:30: The first obstacle with new partners (enablement)
  • 14:28: Centralized vs decentralized headcount model
  • 15:50: Align the entire org on partnerships

About Brian Jambor:

Brain works with fast-growing SaaS companies to unlock growth strategies for them through partnerships. With over 10 years of experience in consulting and building partner ecosystems from the ground up, Brain has the practical in-the-field knowledge to share what actually works and what’s just hyperbole. Often quoted as “believing in Partnerships, not vendorships”, Brian helps partner leaders cut through the noise to get to the signal of truly reciprocal relationships.

About Crossbeam:

Crossbeam is the world’s first and most powerful partner ecosystem platform trusted by more than 8,500 technology companies. We act as a data escrow service that finds overlapping accounts with your partners while keeping the rest of your data private and secure.