Alliance Aces

The ecosystem has changed a lot over the past 30 years.    The democratization of technology has allowed for IP creation at scale and demands continuous enablement.   It’s all about bringing the right solutions to the customers and innovating with partners.    In this episode, I’m speaking with someone who has been a vital part of that change: Rob Sparno, Head of Strategic Alliance - North America at Sage.    Rob has had a long and illustrious career in many partnering areas, including Salesforce, Oracle and Microsoft and is truly a champion of the ecosystem.    We discuss:   - How innovation and the democratization of technology will shape the ecosystem’s future   - Why enablement is the only way to manage the speed and scale of today’s ecosystem   - Rob’s top 3 most critical tips for up-and-coming partner leaders   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by:   - Email: chip@workspan.com   - Twitter: @chiprodgers   - Li

Everyone knows to keep an eye on their competitors...   But how many of us are on the lookout for threats outside our industry?   Our guest today is Leslie Shannon, Head of Ecosystem and Trend Scouting at Nokia, a company that knows all too well what happens when you ignore these threats.    And now Leslie is heading up the team making sure it can never happen again.    In today’s episode, Leslie covers:   - Why you need to look outside your industry for threats and opportunities   - How 5G is set to change the world (and why the paranoia is comically unfounded)   - The 4 biggest shifts in ecosystem trends today   Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:   - www.open-ecosystem.org    To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by:   Email: chip@workspan.com   Twitter: @chiprodgers   LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers

It’s inevitable that most companies will move to the cloud.    But COVID-19, government adoption and other worldwide events have conspired to ensure that transition will come faster than anyone predicted.   And alliance ecosystems are going to play a pivotal role.    To explain why, I spoke with Shivkumar Subramaniam, former Vice President and Geography Head at Mindtree.   Shiv went over:   - How COVID-19 is fast-tracking cloud migration   - The challenges worldwide to cloud migration   - Why government adoption is the biggest driver of cloud migration   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by:   - Email: chip@workspan.com   - Twitter: @chiprodgers   - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers

If you want to learn the best ways to do something, you need to turn to the experts.    You need to turn to the people and organizations with the kind of wisdom that can only be gained through years of experience.   So, when it comes to managing partnerships, you turn to Microsoft.   That’s why I am so happy I got a chance to sit down with David Totten, Chief Technology Officer, US Partner Ecosystem at Microsoft in our latest episode.    David’s experience managing partners in the leading organization in the space makes him the expert to talk to. And at a time when the world is changing so dramatically, so rapidly, who better to turn to than a company that has weathered numerous global crises over the years?   We had a chance to discuss:   - The lessons learned from Microsoft’s 35 years in partnerships   - How partnerships are evolving under COVID-19   - The 3 pillars of nurturing talent   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be

The COVID-19 crisis has changed things for everybody.    The race for innovations to guide us through to safety includes everyone.   Interestingly, security, innovation, and inclusion are also key elements of any successful alliance program.    On our show today, I spoke with James Gordon, GM of Ecosystem Strategy & Business Development at Intel, to discuss how these very topics guide Intel’s work in their partner ecosystem.    We covered:   - How to keep your ecosystem secure   - What COVID-19 means for innovation   - Why inclusion should be a top priority, both inside and outside your company   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by:   - Email: chip@workspan.com   - Twitter: @chiprodgers   - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers

We call it social distancing, but that’s a misnomer. It should be physical distancing.   In reality, we’re using every digital tool available to make sure the social world keeps going strong.   And these same tools are poised to shape the future of alliance ecosystems.    Though he’s recently moved into a new role, my guest today, Vinodh Raghunathan, PhD, spent over 3 years as Director of Global Strategic Partners Operations at Intel, where he successfully oversaw a sprawling alliance program with a rich diversity of partners.    He came on the podcast today to explain how to track success within such a complex ecosystem and share how the current crisis is shining a light on the future of alliance programs.   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by:   - Email: chip@workspan.com   - Twitter: @chiprodgers   - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers

The best alliances rest on a foundation of successful alignment, but building it can be difficult if you spread yourself too thin.   So, freeing up resources by concentrating on fewer, higher-impact partnerships can be a rewarding strategy.    And having a framework for the full lifecycle of customer engagement keeps you on track, aligned, and able to scale.   My guest today is Preseetha Pettigrew, Global VP Strategic Alliances at Seismic, where she has done tremendous work incorporating these elements into an incredibly successful alliance program.   Preseetha explains exactly how she was able to do more with less in Seismic’s alliance program and drive the company’s incredible international growth.   She goes over: - How to get the ingredients right in a partnership before scaling - Why it pays to keep an eye on partner engagement every step of the way - How to balance solid structures with the need for flexibility   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversa

Over the years, managing alliances has evolved.    But many of the key insights from older models sill bear fruit when it comes to today’s cloud-based alliance programs.    Our guest today, Christine Puccio, VP of Global Cloud Alliances at F5 Networks, has had tremendous success in her 20+ years of experience managing partner programs.    And Christine shares some of her most valuable insights with us on our latest episode.    Christine covers: - How her experiences gave her a de facto MBA in working with alliance partners - How public APIs are making delivering joint solutions simpler - Why aligning your own roadmap to your partners’ rewards everyone   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by: - Email: chip@workspan.com - Twitter: @chiprodgers - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers

It’s no secret successful partner delivery is a vital part of any thriving ecosystem.   So, it’s imperative to make sure your partners are trained and capable to deliver quality total solutions to your joint customers.   And when your company derives 90% of your business from partners, partner delivery is your lifeblood.    Our guest today is Winnie Zeliger, Partner Delivery Executive at Cisco, where the 90% figure holds true. So, of course, Cisco is absolutely devoted to partner success and has established multiple partner-facing teams.   There are teams dedicated to supporting partners with selling, but Winnie and her team are entirely dedicated to serving partners on the delivery side of the equation.   And they’ve seen outstanding results.    In this episode, Winnie shares: - Why success is built upon the success of your partners - Why partner delivery deserves your full attention - Why listening to, and encouraging, partner feedback is the key to winning partner programs   To contact the host, Chip Rodge

How should you approach building a partner advantage program from scratch?   Should you focus on the leveling — your Gold, Silver or Bronze designations? And who should the program center on?   Well, if you want to succeed like Google, you need to marry a partner-focused and a customer-focused approach and highlight capabilities.   That’s how our guest today, Nina Harding, Chief of Global Partner Strategy and Programs at Google, tackled building Google’s Partner Advantage program from the ground up.    In this episode, Nina goes over: - The challenges and rewards to building Google’s Partner Advantage program from scratch - Why a customer-focused approach is so beneficial - Why partner capabilities matter more than levels To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by: - Email: chip@workspan.com - Twitter: @chiprodgers - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers

Rapid growth is the epitome of the saying “it’s a good problem to have.”   Still, this doesn’t discount the very real challenges breakneck scaling involves.   And as the market landscape gets ever more dominated by SaaS companies experiencing explosive growth, it’s important we learn from their experiences.   That’s why we sat down with Katie Ecklund, Director of SI alliances at Snowflake, to see what her experiences can teach us about how to handle the challenges of the good problem everyone wants to have.   Over the last 3 years, Katie has brought her experience working at major organizations like IBM and even the US Army with her as she has overseen Snowflake’s ecosystem grow at remarkable speed.   Katie went over: - The importance of automation when scaling rapidly - How SaaS has impacted traditional resellers - How engaging with the community keeps everything running smoothly To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached

In many of the conversations we have about alliance partnerships, a few key things crop up.    Any healthy alliance program relies on aligning your needs with the needs of partners, enabling their success and making sure you can quantify your shared success.    Olav Schluter, Director of Global Services Channel Programs at Dell, has orchestrated these key building blocks into a symphony of ecosystem success.   He came on the show today to share how Dell achieved this and I think we can all learn from his achievements.    Olav covered: - What Dell’s Services Program is - How they tackled alignment and avoided competitive friction - How Dell enables its alliances - How metrics can be used to differentiate and provide transparency to the consumer   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by:   - Email: chip@workspan.com   - Twitter: @chiprodgers   - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers

Modern software ecosystems have changed.   Ecosystems are no longer valued for the sheer quantity of solutions they offer — they are valued for, well, the actual value their solutions provide.   More doesn’t mean better; better means better.   It’s a key insight from our guest today, Tom Roberts, Senior Vice President at the Global Partner Organization over at SAP. Tom has had incredible success at SAP, delivering more than $1B in revenue overseeing the Solution Extension program as it grows 89% year-over-year.   There are a lot of great takeaways from Tom’s success and experience and he shares many of them with me today.   - How to get your ecosystem management “just right”   - Why today’s software ecosystem preference quality over quantity   - Great advice for anyone looking to replicate his success   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by:   Email: chip@workspan.com   Twitter: @chiprodgers   LinkedIn: linkedin.com

When discussing ecosystems, often the conversation revolves around what your alliances can do for you.   Yet, the conversation is incomplete without discussing your responsibility in the ecosystem. If you want a thriving ecosystem, you need to ask yourself: How am I adding value to my alliances?   Today’s guest Jenni Flinders, VP and Channel Chief at VMWare, says a great way to add value is to analyze how you can help your alliances differentiate.   We covered a lot of ground today, including:   - Why you should target alliance differentiation   - Why simple questions provide powerful solutions   - How enablement holds an ecosystem together   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by:   Email: chip@workspan.com   Twitter: @chiprodgers   LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers

As in life, the only constant in managing ecosystems is change.   A company’s needs change as it grows and matures. Market patterns shift and evolve.   A successful ecosystem is one that adapts in the face of rapid change. And while adaptation can mean different things to different organizations, it’s something every ecosystem will reckon with at some point.   Holly Whalen is director of the Global Strategic Partner Program at UIPath, which has experienced a period of tremendous growth in the past few years.    Holly joined us on the #EcosystemAces Podcast and shared insights learned from her experience managing an alliance ecosystem through this growth in a constantly shifting market landscape.    She went over:   - Why in alliance ecosystems, sometimes less is more   - How adaptation is easier with the right alignment   - Why managing ecosystems demands a wide range of talents

Managing ecosystems and alliances comes with a lot of moving parts and a diverse set of talents and skills is required to make it work.   This is especially true when building the program from the ground up.   We invited Shubhra Sinha, principal at The Value Exponent, onto the #EcosystemsAces podcast, and she shared her expertise in building alliance programs from the ground up.    What we talked about:   - Why you need a strategic start.   - Why belief in the program is vital.   - Why long-term thinking is needed.   - How you measure success.   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by:   Email: chip@workspan.com   Twitter: @chiprodgers   LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers

It’s a big world out there for the Microsoft Solution Provider (or MSP.)    There are dozens, if not hundreds of different solutions for every problem a customer might be facing, but one thing is for certain.    The cloud is here, and it’s not going anywhere.    Joseph Landes is the Chief Revenue Officer at Nerdio, and was a guest on the Ecosystem Aces podcast recently. He came on the show specifically to talk about:    - What he and his team are up to at Nerdio   - How they help onboard MSPs to Microsoft Azure   - The 3 biggest challenges that are most commonly faced by those MSPs when trying to migrate to a public cloud services like Azure. 

In a global world, with a global staff, and a global product, it can be tough to keep yourself grounded in what matters to EACH partner, can’t it?    You can’t operate in a one-size-fits-all mentality when you’re operating a partner ecosystem across multiple countries, cultures, time-zones, and even continents.    This can be particularly challenging when you’re a cloud company. Because you don’t actually have a “product” in the traditional sense of the word.    So how do you operate in the partner ecosystem as a “cloud-only” company? We sat down recently with Micheal McCollough, who is the Global Vice President of Channels & Alliances at Akamai. He was kind enough to be a guest on the Ecosystem Aces podcast and talked all about how being a cloud company has impacted the way they interact with partners. leading partners in different regions of the world, and some of the things that have worked well for them as an organization. 

Every company wants to grow. It doesn’t matter if you’re a mom and pop store, or a multi-billion dollar international organization.  At some point, every company wants to grow and get bigger. To serve more people. To bring in more revenue, hire more staff, and make a bigger impact on the world.  But for companies that have a large partner ecosystem, growth can present some unique challenges. A special set of headaches that, if you’re not careful, can drastically slow you down.  On this episode of the Ecosystem Aces podcast, we sat down with Cecilia Flombaum, who is the Worldwide Lead for Business Application Partners at Microsoft. We talked all about  Growing a partnership ecosystem at scale How partners are helping grow the business The biggest challenges they face in growing a partnership ecosystem And so much more.

How many partners are in your ecosystem?  Dozens? Hundreds? Maybe thousands? If you’re Microsoft, the answer to this simple question is in the hundreds of thousands. Upwards of 300,000 to be more precise.  As you can imagine, managing 300,000+ partnerships is no small task. There are a lot of things that have to go right. A lot of pieces that have to run perfectly in order to allow for an ecosystem of this magnitude to function.  That’s where Hannibal Scipio and his team come in. Hannibal manages business strategy for the global Partner to Partner team. He was a guest on the Ecosystem Aces podcast recently and talked all about  The challenges that his team faces.  What it takes to ensure a successful partnership.  The three step journey of the partnership.  And so much more.