Ecosystem Alpha where Strategy meets GTM Execution

Sebastian Hoelzl and Will Schnabel
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Welcome to Ecosystem Alpha, the briefing for executives navigating the 2026 Trust Crisis. We move beyond the broken funnel to drive Net Revenue Retention, Agentic AI adoption, and the Rule of 40 efficiency investors demand. The future belongs to the leaders who view their connected ecosystem not as a "channel," but as their most unfair advantage in outperforming the competition. Join us as we sit down with CEOs, CFOs, CROs, and other GTM leaders to pull back the curtain on the revenue receipts of the ecosystem era: Strategy in the boardroom. Execution in the CRM.

Episodes

  1. Predictive Partnerships with AI: From Logo Soup to Closing the Activation Gap with Jon Mead

    1D AGO

    Predictive Partnerships with AI: From Logo Soup to Closing the Activation Gap with Jon Mead

    In this episode of Ecosystem Alpha, hosts Sebastian and Will sit down with Jon Mead, the founder of PartnerBridge, to discuss why a staggering 80% of partnerships fail and how to move away from the "logo soup" approach. Jon shares his journey from sales engineering to founding a solution that uses data signals and AI to predict partner success. We dive deep into the mechanics of Partner Fit, exploring why pricing alignment and company maturity are often overlooked. Jon also shares "scars" from his past, including a failed pitch to Deloitte, and explains how flipping the partnership funnel to an invite-only model can drastically lower your CAC and augment your outcomes. Chapters Introduction to Ecosystem Alpha and guest Jon MeadFormal Introduction: Jon Mead and the PartnerBridge origin storyWhy Partnerships Fail: Moving past "logo soup" and reactive motionsPartner Fit: Navigating pricing alignment, ICP, and company maturityThe AI Shift: Using data signals to map influencers and watering holesCost Analysis: The "hard numbers" behind onboarding and strategic drainTime-to-Value: Driving efficiency through quick wins and risk reductionThe "Easy Button": Using sales kits to embed partners into GTM motionsFlipping the Funnel: Why an exclusive, invite-only approach winsRevenue Receipts: Learning from a failed GSI pitch at DeloitteRapid Fire: Overrated partner criteria and multiverse sci-fiClosing Thoughts and guest recommendations Legal Disclaimer for Ecosystem Alpha: The Podcast 1. No Professional Advice: The content of this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice (legal, financial, tax, or otherwise). 2. Views Expressed: The opinions expressed by guests on this program are their own. Ecosystem Alpha does not verify the accuracy of the information provided by guests, and their appearance does not constitute an endorsement of the guest or the entity they represent. 3. Professional Titles: Guest titles and business affiliations are provided as of the date of recording. Ecosystem Alpha makes no representation regarding the current status of a guest’s employment or their authority to bind any mentioned third-party entities. 4. Limitation of Liability: By listening to this podcast, you agree that Ecosystem Alpha and its hosts are not responsible for any decisions made or actions taken based on the information provided in this program.

    35 min
  2. Why 'Partnerships' is a GTM Problem, Not a Department with Bryan Brown

    APR 2

    Why 'Partnerships' is a GTM Problem, Not a Department with Bryan Brown

    In this episode of Ecosystem Alpha, hosts Sebastian and Will are joined by Bryan Brown, co-founder of Go-To-Market Partners, to explore the fundamental breakdown of the traditional go-to-market (GTM) engine. Bryan discusses the death of the "Franken-GTM" and explains why CEOs must shift from being passive observers to active owners of GTM strategy to drive alignment across sales, marketing, product, and customer success. Learn about the "Silo Tax," how disconnected handoffs hurt the customer journey, and why a partner-led motion is often the most efficient path to lowering CAC and achieving sustainable growth. Bryan also shares the critical diagnostic questions every leadership team must answer to ensure they are truly aligned. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction to Ecosystem Alpha and guest Bryan Brown Formal Introduction: Bryan Brown and the GTM Operating System Why GTM is Broken: Moving past the "Franken-stack" and old funnel approaches The CEO’s Mandate: Why the CEO must own GTM ownership, even if they don't run it The "Silo Tax": How departmental silos create a high tax on business efficiency The Partner-Led Motion: Driving capital efficiency and lower cost of acquisition Defining Partnerships: Navigating Channel, Ecosystem, Reseller, and Referral models Revenue Receipts: GTM success stories from Apollo, Snowflake, and Monday.com The Alignment Check: 8 critical questions every executive team must be able to answer Rapid Fire: Hiring SDRs vs. Partners and the most useless board metrics Personal Insights: Leading with a "heart at peace" and the impact of the Anatomy of Peace Closing Thoughts and next guest recommendation Legal Disclaimer for Ecosystem Alpha: The Podcast⁠⁠ 1. No Professional Advice: The content of this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice (legal, financial, tax, or otherwise). 2. Views Expressed: The opinions expressed by guests on this program are their own. Ecosystem Alpha does not verify the accuracy of the information provided by guests, and their appearance does not constitute an endorsement of the guest or the entity they represent. 3. Professional Titles: Guest titles and business affiliations are provided as of the date of recording. Ecosystem Alpha makes no representation regarding the current status of a guest’s employment or their authority to bind any mentioned third-party entities. 4. Limitation of Liability: By listening to this podcast, you agree that Ecosystem Alpha and its hosts are not responsible for any decisions made or actions taken based on the information provided in this program.

    42 min
  3. Why Wall Street Values Networks Over Software with Jamie Kiggen

    MAR 26

    Why Wall Street Values Networks Over Software with Jamie Kiggen

    Wall Street Values Networks Over Software: Discover how the Validation Multiplier and partnership-led ecosystems drive efficient growth, net negative churn, and superior SaaS valuations.In this episode of the Ecosystem Alpha Podcast, hosts Sebastian and Will sit down with Jamie Kiggen, a past CFO for multiple SaaS businesses and Wall Street investor. They dive deep into the Validation Multiplier to explore why Wall Street increasingly values business networks and ecosystems over traditional standalone software. Jamie shares his "insider's perspective" on the transition from growth-at-all-costs to a focus on efficient growth and unit economics. The conversation covers how ecosystems act as strategic capital providers, the impact of AI on business planability, and why specific metrics like expansion revenue and net negative churn are the true indicators of a healthy, scalable business. Whether you are a founder, investor, or SaaS leader, this episode provides a masterclass in driving long-term valuation through partnership-led growth. Chapters Introduction to Jamie Kiggen and the Validation Multiplier Scalability, Predictability, and the Shift to Efficient Growth Unit Economics: Cost to Acquire vs. Lifetime Value Predictability in SaaS and the Strategic Impact of AI Partnerships as Intellectual and Strategic Capital Evaluating Investments: Direct Sales vs. Partner Organizations The Critical Role of Product Management in Ecosystems The Investment Phase: Transitioning to Indirect Revenue Overrated Metrics: The Risks of Committed ARR (CARR) Why Net Negative Churn Commands a Premium Multiple Final Thoughts and Lessons from The Great Gatsby Legal Disclaimer for Ecosystem Alpha: The Podcast⁠ 1. No Professional Advice: The content of this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice (legal, financial, tax, or otherwise). 2. Views Expressed: The opinions expressed by guests on this program are their own. Ecosystem Alpha does not verify the accuracy of the information provided by guests, and their appearance does not constitute an endorsement of the guest or the entity they represent. 3. Professional Titles: Guest titles and business affiliations are provided as of the date of recording. Ecosystem Alpha makes no representation regarding the current status of a guest’s employment or their authority to bind any mentioned third-party entities. 4. Limitation of Liability: By listening to this podcast, you agree that Ecosystem Alpha and its hosts are not responsible for any decisions made or actions taken based on the information provided in this program.

    48 min
  4. Why Trust is the New Currency in GTM ft. Forest Yule Donovan

    MAR 10

    Why Trust is the New Currency in GTM ft. Forest Yule Donovan

    Traditional lead gen is broken, and buyers are tuning out. In the current market, trust is the most valuable currency you have. Welcome to the very first episode of Ecosystem Alpha, the podcast where ecosystem strategy meets GTM execution. Today, hosts Sebastian and Will sit down with Forrest Donovan, Senior Director of Strategic Alliances at Full Story, to roast the old-school funnel playbook and discuss what actually works in 2026. Forrest shares how top teams are moving away from the volume-based "how" economy and stepping into the "who" economy by leveraging trusted partner networks. We break down how to use AI as a scalpel—not a sledgehammer—to build hyper-personalized co-selling material, why the industry is shifting from Software as a Service (SaaS) to Results as a Service (RaaS), and the anatomy behind a massive multi-million dollar partner-sourced deal. If your response rates are dropping and your sales team is frustrated, this episode is your blueprint for a new way forward. Welcome to Ecosystem Alpha: The GTM Trust CrisisIntroducing Forrest Donovan from Full StoryThe GTM Roast: Why the Traditional Demand Gen Waterfall is BreakingGetting Above the Noise: Using AI & Ecosystems to Build TrustThe Shift from SaaS to Results as a Service (RaaS)Anatomy of a Deal: Breaking Down a Multi-Million Dollar Co-Sell WinRethinking KPIs: Why We Need a "Partner Impact Score"Outro & Nominating Our Next Guest: George at High Touch⭐️ Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please follow Ecosystem Alpha on Spotify and leave us a 5-star review! It helps us bring more incredible guests onto the show. Legal Disclaimer for Ecosystem Alpha: The Podcast 1. No Professional Advice: The content of this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice (legal, financial, tax, or otherwise). 2. Views Expressed: The opinions expressed by guests on this program are their own. Ecosystem Alpha does not verify the accuracy of the information provided by guests, and their appearance does not constitute an endorsement of the guest or the entity they represent. 3. Professional Titles: Guest titles and business affiliations are provided as of the date of recording. Ecosystem Alpha makes no representation regarding the current status of a guest’s employment or their authority to bind any mentioned third-party entities. 4. Limitation of Liability: By listening to this podcast, you agree that Ecosystem Alpha and its hosts are not responsible for any decisions made or actions taken based on the information provided in this program.

    36 min
  • 4 Episodes

About

Welcome to Ecosystem Alpha, the briefing for executives navigating the 2026 Trust Crisis. We move beyond the broken funnel to drive Net Revenue Retention, Agentic AI adoption, and the Rule of 40 efficiency investors demand. The future belongs to the leaders who view their connected ecosystem not as a "channel," but as their most unfair advantage in outperforming the competition. Join us as we sit down with CEOs, CFOs, CROs, and other GTM leaders to pull back the curtain on the revenue receipts of the ecosystem era: Strategy in the boardroom. Execution in the CRM.

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