Key Factors for a Successful Partnership Program

Before Klaviyo was a unicorn, before their $9.2B IPO, and before partnerships were driving over 30% of their revenue… their partner program was in terrible shape. Here’s how they turned it from struggling function to secret weapon: BACKSTORY: In 2017, I was the Head of Partnerships at Hawke Media. Hawke was Klaviyo’s #1 partner by revenue. But, Klaviyo was far from Hawke’s top partner. For over a year I challenged them to do better. Every check-in call was a reminder of how lopsided our partnership was. Then, in 2018, Mike Eng took over their partnership program. I shared my feedback with him about their gaps and areas for improvement. Instead of brushing it off, Mike relished the feedback and asked for more. He knew that at my previous company (Bronto) we had built partnerships into 65% of revenue and he wanted to do the same at Klaviyo. Over a series of calls, and trips out to LA, he grilled me. Here are the best pieces of advice I gave him (according to Mike): 1. Customer First Build a program that delivers value throughout the customer journey and everyone wins. 2. Drive Growth for Partners The success you drive FOR your partners is as important as the leads/referrals you get FROM them. Make supporting the growth of your partners a core KPI. 3. Treat Partner like Customers of your Partner Program Map out your partner journey and what a healthy partnership looks like. Break this lifecycle into stages and track funnel metrics throughout. Then create a strong feedback loop with partners to optimize it. 4. Simplify, Simplify, Simplify A program with a bunch of “benefit” checkboxes that can’t be fulfilled are broken promises that you’ll need to repair down the road. Build a clear program that makes it easy for partners to understand, onboard, engage, and realize value. 5. Alignment is Critical Make sure you have alignment with key stakeholders internally. From the Board, to C-suite, and Cross-functional leaders across Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, and Product. You’ll need all of them to build a truly powerful program. 6. Use Data to Scale Having the right metrics, and the infrastructure to track them, will allow you to create predictability and scale. You (and your partners) will always know where you stand, what’s working, and what’s not so you can make informed decisions. 7. Tier Your Program (when at critical mass) Identify all of the benefits you can reliably offer to partners, organize them by value, and align with a tiering system that incentivizes partners to increase engagement with you. TAKEAWAY: These are the basics that so many partner programs are missing. Klaviyo came into a crowded category, with entrenched incumbents, and out-paced them all through partnerships. If you're struggling with partnerships, take a page out of their playbook. Keep the focus on scalability and mutual value. That's the foundation of a $1B partnership program.

I’ve been asked a few times lately: What does a successful partnership actually look like? It’s a great question, with a myriad of answers, but the one I keep coming back to is this: Two companies fully functioning in the market together, driving impact to the bottom line of the business. Not JUST co-marketing. Not JUST a signed agreement. Not JUST a “good relationship.” Not JUST a couple mutual customers. Not JUST a logo swap on a slide deck. Not JUST a press release. Not JUST a one-off webinar. Not JUST a referral here and there. Not JUST some overlapping ICP. Not JUST a Slack channel between partner managers. A truly successful partnership means both companies are actively generating revenue together…whether that’s through co-selling, product integrations, or joint customer acquisition. So how do you actually make this happen? Here’s what I’ve seen work time and time again: 1️⃣ Deep Business Alignment: Make sure your goals actually align. A partner that drives meaningful impact is one that fits into your customers’ existing workflows, pain points, or decision-making processes. 2️⃣ Embedded Sales & Marketing Plays: If your sellers aren’t actively working with partners, the partnership isn’t real. Equip your sales team with clear, repeatable motions: 3️⃣ Clear Revenue Attribution: If you can’t measure it, you can’t prove it. Define what counts as sourced vs. influenced pipeline and make sure there’s clear tracking in your CRM. Otherwise, partnerships will always feel like an afterthought instead of a strategy. 4️⃣ Mutual Investment & Skin in the Game: The best partnerships aren’t transactional. They evolve over time, with both sides actively investing, whether that’s through product roadmaps, dedicated teams, or joint market expansion. If one side is doing all the heavy lifting, it’s not a partnership. 5️⃣ Consistent, Executive-Level Buy-in: Partnerships die in silos. The most successful ones have top-down commitment, with CROs, CMOs, and even CEOs recognizing that partnerships are core to revenue growth, not just a side of the desk project. If you can embed partnerships this deeply, you’re not just “working with partners.” You’re creating a competitive advantage in your market. Tell me: what does a successful partnership look like in your world?

The business statistic nobody talks about: 70% of partnerships fail (higher than the divorce rate). Stanford study reveals which partnerships succeed and why most founders get it wrong. Solo founders typically achieve 25-30% IRR. Partnership-led businesses? 40% IRR. Despite better returns, most founders resist partnerships due to fear of losing control, reducing equity, and complex decisions. What makes the successful 30% work? They use THREE distinct partnership models – not the default 50/50 split that fails most often: 1) The Skill Partnership Combines complementary abilities that create force multiplication. Example: Industry expert + finance veteran = successful $15M acquisition. 2) The Capital Partnership One partner provides funding, the other handles operations. The key? Clear boundaries with strategic guidance. 3) The Complementary Operator Model Two operators with distinct responsibilities: • One: sales, strategy, finance • Other: production, R&D, quality The common thread? Avoiding overlapping responsibilities. When partners step on each other's toes, conflict is inevitable. Another key finding: Partnerships formed BEFORE acquisition outperformed those formed after. The successful 30% prioritize: 1. Value alignment (non-negotiable) 2. Decision-making frameworks 3. Communication styles 4. Stress responses 5. Long-term vision Successful partnerships also structure equity based on contribution rather than arbitrary 50/50 splits. Partnership success hinges on exit planning from day one. Partnerships with clear buy-sell agreements from the beginning were 3x more likely to succeed. The single most predictive factor of success? Regular structured communication. Failed partnerships abandoned formal partner meetings when busy. Successful ones maintained them regardless of circumstances. Thanks for reading! - If you enjoyed this post: ♻️ Reshare for others who might find it useful 💭 Share your thoughts below 👇

Scaling partnerships in 2025? Last week, I ran a poll asking: What’s keeping your partner program from hitting the next level? 80+ votes later, here’s what came back: 1. Misaligned Partner Priorities (42%) Different goals. Different timelines. Different definitions of success. ✅ Fix it: Align on a shared goals and scorecard before you build anything. Revenue, influence, enablement. Get clarity and commit on both sides. 2. Limited Staff, Budget, or Time (24%) Everyone’s stretched. Most partner teams are asked to scale without the support to match. ✅ Fix it: Focus on fewer, bigger bets. Pick your top 3 partners. Build repeatable plays instead of custom motions. 3. Finding the Right Partners (20%) Let’s be real. An IPP deck doesn’t recruit great partners. People do. ✅ Fix it: Outbound like an SDR. Be clear on three things: • What you help them sell more of • Why their sellers should care right now • What the first 30 days together actually looks like Great partners aren’t won with a pitch deck. They’re won with momentum. What has helped you break through when a partnership stalls? I’d love to hear your take. Drop a comment or message me if you’re navigating one of these right now.