Partnership Growth

I made it to VP at Amazon because of the people I partnered with. The same is true for building my part-time business that made $950k last year. Create the partnerships that will let you leap forward - here’s how: 1) Understand Productive Partnerships Here are some examples of the partnerships that propelled my career: a) I partnered with my first boss out of college. I taught her technology, she taught me leadership and drove my first two promotions (lead engineer, then manager). b) At Amazon, my first lead engineer and I worked together for 8 years. I went from Senior Manager to Director to VP while he went from SDE to Senior SDE to Manager to Senior Manager to Director - FOUR PROMOTIONS. c) My COO, Jason Yoong, reached out to me and initiated our partnership by volunteering to build my Substack newsletter. Someone has to take the first step, and he did. d) Most recently, I formed the “Career Growth Collective,” where I invited LinkedIn voices Omar Halabieh, Steve Huynh, and Rajdeep Saha to work with me to amplify our messages across platforms and groups to help more people. Each person in this partnership brings different strengths. Steve and Raj are senior individual contributors with strong YouTube presences. They bring the “Principal” level perspective. Omar is based in Dubai and is actively leading a big team. He also cranks out amazing graphics every day. The different strengths that each person brings leads me to part 2. 2) The Partnership Recipe: i) Build trust with your potential partner Be honest, be friendly, be helpful! ii) Figure out a win-win partnership With my first boss, she needed a technical advisor and I needed management sponsorship. Years later, my first lead engineer did for me what I had done for her. He provided the technical expertise while I sponsored his growth With Raj, Steve, and Omar, we all want to find new readers who will get value from our work. Tip: Take the first step. Invest in the other person without a guarantee of repayment. This will kickstart the partnership, whereas waiting for the other person to make the first move will not. iii) You don’t need perfection I proposed the Career Growth Collective idea to 4 people. 3 accepted and we are thriving together. The main message I want to share with all of this is that you do not need to “go it alone” in your career. What you do need to do is risk that a few people will not return your investment in them when you try to establish partnerships. That is OK. Learn, move on, find others who will. The value of the successful partnerships will greatly outweigh the time and effort put into the ones that didn’t pan out. Who have you partnered with? Praise or thank them in a comment! Who would you like to partner with? Send them this post with a note saying it inspired you to work more closely with them. Steve, Omar, and Raj have shared their own ideas on partnership today. Follow them and read their ideas.

A quiet revolution may be unfolding in humanitarian aid. The U.S. State Department has just announced a $240 million humanitarian award to Catholic Relief Services (CRS) — the first of what is expected to be a series of large-scale “macroawards” for organizations considered trusted and vetted partners. The model emphasizes rapid deployment, with the expectation that implementers can respond to emergencies within 24 hours. Why does this matter? Because this is not simply another grant announcement. It signals a deeper transformation in how major donors may fund humanitarian action in the years ahead. What is likely behind this shift? - Trust over transaction: Donors are moving away from managing thousands of small grants toward a smaller number of strategic partnerships with organizations that have proven systems, compliance, and global reach. - Speed becomes a competitive advantage: In a world of overlapping crises — conflict, climate shocks, epidemics, displacement — procurement cycles measured in months no longer work. The new expectation is readiness, not preparation. - Lower administrative overhead: The language coming from the State Department repeatedly highlights efficiency and reducing duplication. The humanitarian sector may increasingly be judged not only by impact, but by operational simplicity. - A post-USAID architecture: After the restructuring of U.S. foreign assistance, a new aid ecosystem is emerging. The center of gravity is shifting toward larger, more centralized funding mechanisms. What can we expect next? - Fewer but larger awards. - Greater emphasis on consortiums and strategic alliances. - Stronger demand for organizations with robust risk management, compliance, and surge capacity. - Increased importance of localization — but likely through partnerships with established international actors rather than thousands of direct contracts. - A premium on MEL, accountability, and real-time data, because trust will increasingly be evidence-based. From a psychological perspective, this is also fascinating. In times of uncertainty, institutions tend to reduce complexity. They rely on known partners, familiar systems, and established relationships. It is a classic human and organizational response: when risk rises, trust becomes currency. For humanitarian leaders, the question is no longer only: “Can we deliver projects?” It is becoming: “Can we be trusted to deliver at scale, at speed, and under pressure?” The organizations that answer that question convincingly will shape the next decade of humanitarian action. #HumanitarianAid #GlobalDevelopment #InternationalDevelopment #ForeignAssistance #HumanitarianLeadership #Localization #MEL #MonitoringAndEvaluation #RiskManagement #Partnerships #NGO #DonorRelations #HumanitarianInnovation #EmergencyResponse #AidEffectiveness #StrategicPartnerships #DevelopmentCooperation #FutureOfAid #CRS #Leadership #MindCompassHub

As we enter the third year of the 20-year AI-era (or second half of the decade of the ecosystem), we’ve hit a jarring structural inflection point in partnering. The Omdia data (polling the largest and most diverse set of 25,000 partners globally) reveals a massive sentiment reset: partners expecting double-digit growth plummeted 16 points in one year, while those bracing for a >10% revenue crash surged 27 points. --> A stunning 81% of global channel partners are expecting to grow less than the overall industry growth rate of 10.2% this year. --> 30% of partners are expecting to decline by double-digits. We are officially navigating the "messy middle"—a volatile transition from legacy, linear resale to non-linear, consumption-based orchestration. A perfect storm of ultra-large AI-focused alliance deals (driven by NVIDIA, OpenAI, Anthropic, and the hyperscalers) are largely bypassing the traditional channel. Cloud application software, cloud infrastructure, and the growing AI-ecosystem has very little need for traditional resell (estimated at only 24%) and partner service models. The platform economy tends to favor very large firms on the vendor, distributor, and partnering side. Scale, capabilities and capacity is replacing many of the "trusted advisor" scenarios of the past. Marketplaces continue their rapid growth to $163 billion by 2030. Vendor programs, which fuel partner economics, are shifting quickly. Over 400 vendors have moved into "points systems" that change the economics from the point-of-sale to the hyper-specialized outcomes and agentic AI services that "surround" the customer. This is not the end of resale. There is over a trillion dollars of hardware that needs to be shipped to power the trillion dollars in software. This may be, however, the end of the reseller business model being able to outgrow the market at large. Think about the flat to declining telecom market (for many years) as an example. Services multipliers become the ONLY way forward for partner growth. Building (or buying) the skills, certifications, and competencies to earn top advisory, consulting, design, procurement, implementation, integration, and managed services dollars - at top margins of course. Geopolitical and economic headwinds aside, what do you think this inflection point means?

𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 With a decade of experience, from founding my first business in 2014 to achieving two successful exits, I’ve learned the immense value of collaboration, which we continue to prioritize at X-Shift through partnerships with local and global players. Building strategic business relationships is one of the most pivotal factors in driving business growth, especially in the tech sector. As someone who has navigated this landscape for years, I'd like to share a few invaluable lessons for anyone looking to scale their business through collaboration. 𝟏. 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝: Partnerships give you access to the resources, expertise, and technologies that would otherwise take years to build internally. The right partnership can be the difference between staying stagnant and growing exponentially. 𝟐. 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥: One of the most powerful lessons I've learned is the value of blending global innovation with local expertise. For instance, at X-Shift, our collaborations with companies like XEBO.ai (Survey2Connect) Exotel or Knowmax allow us to bring cutting-edge technologies and innovation to our region. But it's our deep understanding of the local market that ensures these solutions resonate and succeed. It’s a perfect balance of global insight and local relevance. 𝟑. 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐧-𝐧𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞: A successful partnership is built on trust and alignment. It’s not just about the technology or the business deals. Shared goals and a common vision create the foundation for long-term, sustainable growth. Without trust, even the most promising collaboration will fall apart. 𝟒. 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐞𝐲: Stagnation is the enemy of growth. The tech sector evolves fast, and being adaptable helps you stay ahead of the curve. Don’t be afraid to pivot when necessary. 𝟓. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧-𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐬: The best partnerships are those where both parties walk away better off. Seek out collaborations where both sides gain value, whether it’s through shared technologies, expanded markets, or enhanced capabilities. A partnership should be a journey of mutual growth, not just a transaction. While collaborations offer limitless opportunities, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 key question we must ask ourselves as companies is: have we done great work internally, to position ourselves for success when those collaboration opportunities arise? #collaboration #business #tech #global #saudiarabia #KSA

Too many strategic alliances with Global System Integrators (GSIs) fail to deliver promised revenue. The #1 reason? They skip the basics — and then scale chaos. 👇 Here’s how to do it right. If you’re partnering with GSIs like Accenture, Capgemini, TCS, or Infosys, you already know they’re powerful growth channels — but only if your alliance is strategically designed, operationally aligned, and commercially activated. At Alliance Best Practice, we’ve studied over 800 high-tech alliances and found that commercial success with GSIs isn’t magic — it’s method. The most successful partnerships follow a repeatable pattern across three critical stages: 🔹 Initiation: Get the Foundation Right Secure real executive sponsorship (not lip service). Co-create a joint value proposition that solves real customer problems. Build a 12–24 month joint business plan with targets, priorities, and a shared “why now.” 🔹 Activation: Make It Real Launch field enablement with role-based playbooks, demos, and deal support. Identify 10–50 strategic accounts for joint pursuit. Share pipeline, assign pursuit leads, and celebrate early wins publicly. 🔹 Acceleration: Scale What Works Invest in repeatable, co-branded solution offerings. Launch joint marketing campaigns and track sourced/influenced revenue. Embed governance, metrics, and incentives that make the alliance sustainable. 💬 As one alliance leader told us: "If you can’t describe how the GSI makes money with you, they won’t put you in front of a client.” If you're building or rebooting a GSI alliance and want a proven roadmap — ✅ Read our latest article: Best Practices in GSI Alliances 📍 Now live on the Alliance Best Practice site: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eJaHMXE #alliances #partnerships #GSI #channelstrategy #cosell #strategicalliances #growth #b2bpartnerships #alliancemanagement #hightech

Considering rising trade tensions, Silicon Valley AI founders may need to rethink their Europe strategy. As tariffs emerge and Europe doubles down on digital sovereignty, some long-held assumptions may no longer apply. Many European organizations are likely to seek greater stability; de-risking their AI stack by turning to trusted, local, and values-aligned partners. Globally, consumers and institutions alike may start weighing new factors when choosing what to adopt, build on, or invest in. For Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, this could be the right moment to explore deeper collaboration: co-creation with local ecosystems, shared research, capital ties, and meaningful partnerships with European industries. This isn’t about retreat; it’s about adapting, evolving, and engaging more thoughtfully with a changing market. Key questions to guide the next step: 1. Are we perceived as a trusted and aligned partner in Europe, and what would it take to earn that trust long-term? 2. How resilient is our European go-to-market strategy in the face of geopolitical shifts? 3. Where can we co-create, through research, investment, or partnerships, to turn uncertainty into strategic footholds?

After securing partnerships with over 90 companies and building a portfolio of over $4 billion worth of investment deals in my career, I’ve learned that strategic partnerships are not just beneficial—they’re pivotal.    Here are three secrets to forging million-dollar partnerships that can help you achieve a similar feat:    1. Understand Your Unique Value Proposition: Before approaching potential partners, it's crucial to have a clear understanding of what unique value your business brings to the table. This will help you articulate why a partnership with you is beneficial, making it easier to attract high-value partners.    2.Align Goals and Values: Successful partnerships are built on shared goals and values. Ensure that your potential partner’s vision aligns with yours. This alignment fosters trust and collaboration, leading to long-term success.    3. Leverage Mutual Strengths: The best partnerships are those where both parties bring complementary strengths to the table. Identify areas where your partner excels and see how these can augment your business capabilities.    Partnerships have been the cornerstone of my growth strategy, helping me unlock new markets and drive significant growth.    Don't wait until you feel 'ready'—start building those relationships now.    #BusinessStrategy #Partnerships #Growth #BrandBuilding #ThePathRedefined

As I meet more people, especially budding tech founders, a recurring question is about leveraging partnerships as a revenue channel. One key aspect that often stands out in these discussions is identifying the right partner. The right partnership can provide up to 80% leverage in your ROI by aligning perfectly with your goals and capabilities. Consider the example of a health tech startup partnering with a large hospital chain. By integrating their cutting-edge telemedicine platform with the hospital's extensive network, the startup was able to provide virtual health services to a vast number of patients. This partnership enabled the startup to scale rapidly and gain credibility in the healthcare market, while the hospital chain could offer innovative services to their patients without developing the technology in-house. To help identify the right partner, I recommend using a simple framework like the "PARTNER" scoring model: - 'P'urpose Alignment: Do your missions and goals align? - 'A'ccess to Market: Can they help you reach new or larger markets? - 'R'esource Complementarity: Do they offer resources you lack and vice versa? - 'T'rust and Reliability: Can you trust them to deliver consistently? - 'N'etwork Synergy: Do their connections and networks benefit you? - 'E'conomic Benefit: Is the partnership financially advantageous? - 'R'eputation: Does partnering with them enhance your brand image? By scoring potential partners on these criteria, you can identify the one that offers the best strategic fit and highest potential for ROI. #B2BPartnerships #TechFounders #BusinessGrowth #StrategicAlliances image - courtesy to Freepik

Most real estate × culture partnerships don’t fail because the idea is weak. They fail because 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 and 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱. Today I’m publishing 𝗣𝗹𝘂𝘀 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 #𝟯: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 - a practical guide to designing deals that last between 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹𝘀. Here’s the reality check: partnerships are rarely equal. Developers bring capital, land and timelines. Councils control consent. Cultural organisations bring audiences, legitimacy — and sometimes the “magic”. So this issue focuses on one job: 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. From the field: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗯 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 (Depot Mayfield / Broadwick) - plus what it teaches about confidence through long build-outs. You’ll also find:  • A 𝟵𝟬-𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 (a quick viability check, not a novel)  • A 𝟱-𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘁 for partnering when the power isn’t equal  • “Build-to-last” moves that help cultural spaces survive 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟯+ 👉 Read the newsletter, then - if you’re working on a new cultural space, or trying to rescue one, tell me: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱? British Property Federation Urban Land Institute RTPI Arts Council England #Placemaking #RealEstate #CulturalInfrastructure #SocialValue

If Partnerships Aren’t Part of Your GTM Strategy’s Core, You’re Missing the Point. Partnerships aren’t an afterthought, and they’re not a shortcut. They’re a strategic bridge to market, helping you expand reach, build trust, and amplify impact in ways traditional sales tactics can’t. But here’s the catch: partnerships only work when they’re woven into the fabric of your GTM strategy. Without a clear purpose, you’re just adding partners for the sake of numbers—and hoping they stick. That’s not strategy It’s wishful thinking. Here’s what defining partnerships in your GTM strategy really means: Define the Why: Are partnerships meant to drive revenue? Improve customer retention? Expand your product suite? Knowing exactly what role partnerships play in your GTM is crucial to choosing partners that will help you deliver on that promise. Map the Bridge: Partnerships aren’t just tactical add-ons; they’re an intentional bridge across to the audiences that matter most. Defining a purpose means seeing partners as essential parts of your GTM structure, not just occasional contributors. Align Across Teams: To make partnerships successful, every team must be on board. From sales and marketing to customer success, alignment on partnership goals ensures that they don’t get siloed but become a central GTM strategy. Set a Long-Term Vision: Partnerships that stick are those with a clear, shared trajectory. Instead of transactional relationships, aim for partnerships that align with your mission and drive mutual growth. Partnerships aren’t a side project; they’re a mission-critical GTM strategy. If you define your partnership purpose clearly and make it core to your GTM plan, you’re setting your company up to cross barriers and reach markets in a way that no other channel can deliver.