Ecosystem Aces WorkSpan

In this insightful episode of Ecosystem Aces titled " Building Industry-Specific Solutions at Scale, GSI Partner Leader at Google”, we sit down with Akseli Lappanen, Google's GSI Partner Leader, to delve into the intricacies of building industry-specific solutions, the art of forming sustainable partnerships, and the innovative approach Google takes to meet the needs of diverse markets.

Join us as we discuss: 
Industry-Specific Solutions: Akseli discusses the importance of aligning customer relevance, value, and scalability when building solutions tailored to specific industries. He draws from his experience collaborating with Microsoft engineering teams to drive meaningful partnerships in this regard.The Three Pillars of Effective Solution Building: Akseli breaks down the critical aspects of developing new solutions, emphasizing customer relevance, inherent value, and scalability as key elements for project success.Identifying and Utilizing a Lighthouse Customer: Akseli highlights the significance of discovering a 'lighthouse customer' to validate the value of a solution and drive subsequent market services and scaling efforts.The Role of Demos and Marketing: Akseli emphasizes the essential role of initial marketing and demo phases in sparking interest with the first customer and laying the groundwork for broader adoption.Technical and Product Truths: Akseli stresses the necessity of establishing a reference architecture that addresses security concerns and regulatory environments to ensure solutions are easy to sell and buy.Unconventional Partnerships and Idea Generation: Akseli discusses the value of unconventional partnerships, emphasizing the importance of ISVs with unique intellectual property and service partners who bring crucial relationships to the table.Selling and Co-selling Dynamics: Akseli explains the vital concept of 'co-selling' and the close collaboration between Google and its partners, facilitated by hyperscaler marketplaces, to streamline customer purchases.The Importance of Executive Alignment and Industry Knowledge: Akseli underscores the crucial role of senior leaders' alignment and deep industry knowledge for the success of any solution development.Staying Curious and Selective: Akseli concludes with personal advice for maintaining curiosity about market movements and customer demands, emphasizing the importance of discernment and strategic alignment in project selection.
This episode provides valuable insights into the complexities of solution development within a large tech company and the importance of partnerships, industry expertise, and strategic innovation in achieving successful outcomes. Whether you’re a part of the tech industry or just interested in the dynamics of partnership and solution building, Akseli’s experiences and advice offer invaluable lessons in navigating these waters.

Stay tuned for more episodes that explore the cutting edge of technology and partnerships, and don't forget to subscribe to our podcast for more conversations with industry leaders like Akseli Lappanen.

Here are some additional episodes featuring other ecosystem leaders that might interest you:
#164 Jason Eichenholz: How Wipro Accelerated Revenue Growth with Their Ecosystem#156 Libby Greco: Get Out There and Break The Glassa...

In this episode of Ecosystem Aces titled “Mastering Partner Unit Economics for Strategic Partnerships”, we delve into the critical role of partner unit economics in driving success within the partnership community. Chris Badger, Senior Director of Strategic Technology Partners at Anaplan, shares invaluable insights into why understanding partner unit economics is pivotal, shedding light on its impact on relationship building and investor value.

Throughout the discussion, we explore key themes including the necessity for increased visibility on this subject and its profound influence on building relationships and investor confidence. Chris underscores the essentiality of partnerships in not solely driving revenue but in enhancing customer lifetime value, drawing from personal experiences in aligning engineering and product teams with hyper scalars to optimize partnership value.

Join us as we discuss:
Alignment of Messaging: Partnerships wield significant influence on sales efficiency, and customer acquisition cost to amplify impact and foster deeper partnerships.Leveraging Integrations: Integrations with partners not only enhance sales efficiency but also increase customer stickiness, reducing switching costs. Tracking ROI: We delve into the complexities of tracking partner unit economics and ROI, offering insights into overcoming challenges and leveraging data-driven solutions like data warehouses or customer experience platforms for streamlined tracking.
Here are some additional episodes featuring other ecosystem leaders that might interest you:
#164 Jason Eichenholz: How Wipro Accelerated Revenue Growth with Their Ecosystem#156 Libby Greco: Get Out There and Break The Glass#154 Suresh Kumar Tulluri: Is Your Roadmap Future Proof?#152 David La Rose: Strengthening Partner Commitments In The Ecosystem Era#151 Mike Stocker: Close 40% More Deals with Partner Influence
Links & Resources
Learn more about how WorkSpan helps customers accelerate their ecosystem flywheel through Co-selling, Co-innovating, Co-investing, and Co-marketing.Download The Ultimate Guide to Drive Co-sell Partnerships!Subscribe to the Ecosystem Aces Podcast on Apple Podcast, a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6EmGbHX9Yj2YabQTKSyRvn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer...

In this episode titled "Expanding Horizons: How Google Scales New Partner Ecosystems," we sit down with Don Tirsell, the Global Head of Partnerships and Business Development at Google. Don brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective on building and nurturing partner programs that drive substantial growth. This conversation sheds light on Don’s strategic approach to exploring new partnership territories, laying the foundation for scalable programs, and fostering deep, mutually beneficial relationships.

Listeners will get an inside look at how Don identifies potential collaborations, designs partnership frameworks from scratch, and meticulously cultivates these relationships to ensure collective success. It's not just about expanding Google's ecosystem; it's about how Don's leadership and innovative strategies pave the way for creating value across the board, leading to groundbreaking joint solutions that benefit partners and the broader tech community.

This episode offers a treasure trove of insights for anyone looking to understand the art and science behind successful partnership programs in the tech industry. Join us as Don Tirsell shares his journey and the lessons learned from building scalable partnerships, demonstrating the impact of visionary leadership in forging new paths and driving growth in the ever-evolving tech landscape.

Here are some additional episodes featuring other ecosystem leaders that might interest you:
#164 Jason Eichenholz: How Wipro Accelerated Revenue Growth with Their Ecosystem#156 Libby Greco: Get Out There and Break The Glass#154 Suresh Kumar Tulluri: Is Your Roadmap Future Proof?#152 David La Rose: Strengthening Partner Commitments In The Ecosystem Era#151 Mike Stocker: Close 40% More Deals with Partner Influence
Links & Resources
Learn more about how WorkSpan helps customers accelerate their ecosystem flywheel through Co-selling, Co-innovating, Co-investing, and Co-marketing.Download The Ultimate Guide to Drive Co-sell Partnerships!Subscribe to the Ecosystem Aces Podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcast.a...

In this episode of Ecosystem Aces titled "Neil Blecherman: Driving ROI Through Tech Partnerships," we dive deep with Neil Blecherman,Tech Partner Program Director, Nutanix into the intricacies of forming and nurturing technology partnerships. With a rich background that spans across industry giants like Nutanix and Intel, Neil shares his seasoned insights into partner program management, the challenges of validating solutions on the Nutanix platform, and the pivotal role of technical validation and evolving industry requirements.

Neil elucidates the importance of collaboration between Nutanix and its over 500 partners for mutual product development and maximizing return on investment. He offers a unique perspective on prioritization strategies within the biopharma and technology sectors and how these approaches drive the adoption of the latest technologies to boost revenue.

Furthermore, Neil discusses the critical yet often overlooked aspect of measuring success in technology partnerships, highlighting the gap in proper measurement and tracking that can lead to missed opportunities. He stresses the value of engaging with technology partners to inform product management teams, thereby enhancing prioritization and product development efforts.

This episode is packed with actionable insights for anyone looking to leverage technology partnerships for growth, emphasizing the importance of performance, scalability, and developing tailored customer solutions through close collaboration with channel partners. Join us as Neil Black shares invaluable advice on building trust, respect, and resiliency in business alliances, drawing from his vast experience in the tech industry.

We also discuss: 
The significance of actively engaging with technology partners, offering insights on gathering valuable information for prioritization and product development.The insight of  investment strategies. It's not just about spending; it's about investing wisely in companies that align in marketing, collaboration, sales, and roadmap.
Here are some additional episodes featuring other ecosystem leaders that might interest you:
#164 Jason Eichenholz: How Wipro Accelerated Revenue Growth with Their Ecosystem#156 Libby Greco: Get Out There and Break The Glass#154 Suresh Kumar Tulluri: Is Your Roadmap Future Proof?#152 David La Rose: Strengthening Partner Commitments In The Ecosystem Era#151 Mike Stocker: Close 40% More Deals with Partner Influence
Links & Resources
Learn more about how WorkSpan helps customers accelerate their ecosystem flywheel through a href="https://www.workspan.com/what-is-workspan/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer...

In this episode of Ecosystem Aces titled "The Art of Enablement: AWS’s Approach to Partner Growth," we're joined by Udita Bhattacharya, AWS Global Partner Enablement Lead, who leads AWS's global partner enablement teams. Udita shares insights into AWS's dynamic enablement mechanisms, including personalized events designed to boost partners' business acumen and market performance.
 
We delve into the importance of creating easily accessible, engaging content that educates and excites AWS partners about marketing to end-users, and how AWS is scaling its enablement efforts to cater to its extensive network of partners through targeted support and segmentation.

Udita highlights the challenges and strategies involved in educating distributors and VARs on new solutions, emphasizing the role of the AWS Marketplace and innovative programs like the Customer Engagement Incentive (CEI) program. 

Additionally, we touch on the evolution of partner enablement from marketing towards a more sales-oriented approach, focusing on the value of personalized consultations and the use of AWS Marketplace Academy for developing go-to-market strategies. This episode is a must-listen for AWS partners and businesses aiming to leverage AWS's ecosystem for growth and success.

We also delve into:
The role of incentives in driving partner success. The importance of providing partners with personalized enablement assets and incentives. How partners can effectively transact, understand customer engagement incentives, and stay updated in this dynamic marketplace environment.

Here are some additional episodes featuring other ecosystem leaders that might interest you:


#164 Jason Eichenholz: How Wipro Accelerated Revenue Growth with Their Ecosystem#156 Libby Greco: Get Out There and Break The Glass#154 Suresh Kumar Tulluri: Is Your Roadmap Future Proof?#152 David La Rose: Strengthening Partner Commitments In The Ecosystem Era#151 Mike Stocker: Close 40% More Deals with Partner Influence
Links & Resources
Learn more about how WorkSpan helps customers accelerate their ecosystem flywheel through Co-selling, Co-innovating, Co-investing, and Co-marketing.Download The Ultimate Guide to Drive Co-sell Partnerships!Subscribe to the Ecosystem Aces Podcast on Apple...

In "Innovation Through Collaboration: Qualtrics, GSIs, and the Power of AI," we delve into Qualtrics's pivotal role in transforming the tech and GSI landscape. Our guest, Alina Everett, Vice President of GSI Alliances - EY + Deloitte at Qualtrics, shares her journey at Qualtrics, focusing on the success of joint co-sell initiatives, experience management, and leveraging AI for deep sentiment analysis. She highlights how collaborations with GSIs are modernizing customer experiences and expanding to improve employee satisfaction.

Alina discusses the power of partnership in innovation, emphasizing the strategic use of AI in interpreting emotions from surveys to connect deeply with users and accelerate insights. The conversation also covers the essence of co-innovation with GSIs and ISVs, the impact of building solutions based on market demand, and the importance of a sales narrative that underscores the mutual benefits of partnerships.

Listeners will get insights into how Qualtrics is steering industry-specific solutions and marketplaces through strategic alliances, emphasizing technology's role in customizing user experiences and advocating for partners. This episode is a concise exploration of the synergy between technology, partnerships, and innovation in enhancing customer and employee experiences.

We also delve into:
How technology augments GSI's sales and customer service capabilities.The pivotal role of sentiment analysis and AI in capturing nuanced emotional perspectives for businesses.Strategies for crafting tailored pricing and offers to cater to GSI needs.
Here are some additional episodes featuring other ecosystem leaders that might interest you:
#164 Jason Eichenholz: How Wipro Accelerated Revenue Growth with Their Ecosystem#156 Libby Greco: Get Out There and Break The Glass#154 Suresh Kumar Tulluri: Is Your Roadmap Future Proof?#152 David La Rose: Strengthening Partner Commitments In The Ecosystem Era#151 Mike Stocker: Close 40% More Deals with Partner Influence
Links & Resources
Learn more about how WorkSpan helps customers accelerate their ecosystem flywheel through Co-selling, Co-innovating, Co-investing, and Co-marketing.Download The Ultimate Guide to Drive Co-sell Partnerships!Subscribe to the Ecosystem Aces Podcast on Apple Podcast, a...