Winning Playbooks for Cloud GTM Growth: Co-Innovation, Operations & Latest Market Data
Hi, it's Roman - welcome back to the Partner Insight newsletter.
Before we dive in, a quick note that today is the 🎁 last day of our Black Friday special for the January cohort of our Cloud GTM Leader Course.
Meanwhile, the next two weeks promise fantastic opportunities for in-person connections. I’m at AWS re:Invent this week, and I'm particularly excited about our special gathering in San Francisco next week, on December 10th.
We'll be unpacking key insights from both re:Invent and Microsoft Ignite, focusing on what truly matters for your marketplace growth strategies in 2025.
Now, let's explore this week's insights on winning cloud marketplace strategies.
How to use Co-Building Flywheel to drive momentum in Cloud Marketplaces
A staggering number of AWS service integrations 🛠 on a single slide got C3 AI's CEO more attention than any revenue projection - reminded us Latif Hamlani. Here's why leading with co-innovation can be your most powerful Cloud GTM tool.
The insights come from Latif Hamlani, who led strategic ISV partnerships at Amazon Web Services (AWS) before driving cloud GTM growth at Synopsis, Informatica and SUSE.
His perspective from both sides of cloud partnerships offers a rare glimpse into what actually drives traction with hyperscalers.
Here are 5 key insights from Latif’s recent session in Cloud GTM Leader course:
1️⃣ Alliance KPIs: Design Wins as a Leading Indicator
His most counterintuitive insight from his AWS days challenges how we measure cloud partnership success.
"My KPI was not revenue," he shares. "I was measured on two things: what we called design wins... and customer lighthouse wins... The wisdom behind those KPIs is that when you're chasing revenue as a salesperson, revenue is really a lagging indicator of success but the leading indicator of success is really the co-innovations."
This highlights how crucial are architectural alignment and customer success stories over short-term revenue targets.
2️⃣ Engaging Cloud Specialists Over Generalists to Co-Sell
Latif's advice on co-sell also defies conventional wisdom, showing a more high engagement.
Focusing on service specialists whose incentives align with your solution's technical capabilities could be very beneficial.
"It's very hard to get the attention of the generalist seller... but it's much easier to get the attention of the [add your service/]... sales specialist because their KPI is driving the use of the services they're associated with."
3️⃣ Starting with MVP and Test Traction
Latif recommends a pragmatic approach to cloud transformation and GTM.
"If you have minimum viable product... start generating some business, listen to what customers are saying and then iterate - transform, modernize, move to SaaS. That needs to happen in stages."
4️⃣ Combine Executive Sponsorship with Field Alignment
Success requires both executive sponsorship and field alignment. "I always believe in taking both a top down and a bottom up approach. I don't think one or the other works. I think you've got to do, as the Americans say, walk and chew gum at the same time."
5️⃣ Building Initial Pipeline Momentum
Most importantly, the pipeline building requires both patience and strategy.
"The first five or ten opportunities, you're almost always going to have to bring those to AWS... but then once you've had success and you build some case studies around it... then the word spreads."
💡 As cloud partnerships become central to GTM strategy, getting these foundations right - from KPIs to co-innovating with clouds to field engagement - will separate winners from the rest.
Are you using co-innovation to accelerate your cloud GTM?
The New SaaS GTM Mix: Half of ISVs double down on marketplaces
Recent data from 2024 SaaS Survey by Sapphire Ventures & KeyBanc reveals that 50% of SaaS companies are increasing their focus on 🛒marketplaces while continuing to prioritize tech partnerships and system integrators (SIs) in their enterprise GTM strategies.
This survey of over 100 private (VC/PE-backed) SaaS offers a glimpse into the GTM strategies of a diverse mix of software firms, primarily in the $10M-$50M ARR range, spanning horizontal and vertical applications.
Here is Key Insights
🤝 Channel Contribution to New ARR
Channels contribute 15% of new ARR: While traditional field sales remains the dominant GTM strategy, driving 60% of new ARR, channels and partnerships add a valuable 15%.
This highlights that channels are an important complementary route to market, though not the primary driver.
Despite industry buzz around self-serve and PLG models, these account for only 7% of new ARR, reinforcing that enterprise SaaS success still heavily relies on direct sales, with channels supporting the broader GTM mix.
Partnership Adoption as Indirect Sales Channels
🛠️ 65% Use Tech Partnerships
Tech partnerships are commonly leveraged with large tech firms (e.g., cloud providers) for co-selling, co-marketing, and product integration, enabling SaaS companies to reach enterprise customers within a broader ecosystem.
However, 56% of respondents are decreasing their focus on tech partnerships, suggesting some are re-evaluating ROI due to factors like complexity, cost, or challenges in achieving direct referral or resale benefits.
🧰 52% Use System Integrators (SIs)
SIs play a crucial role in implementation, integration, and customization, making them invaluable for SaaS providers targeting large enterprises with complex needs.
Priority shifts are balanced, with 52% increasing and 48% decreasing focus on SIs, indicating selective investment based on target customer profiles.
🛍️ 38% Use Marketplaces
Although marketplaces are still an emerging channel, they are gaining traction, with 50% of respondents increasing their focus here.
This trend reflects growing interest in reaching customers who prefer the ease of cloud marketplaces and the ability to leverage cloud commitments for purchasing SaaS products.
📊 Evolving Distribution Model in Enterprise Software
The data reveals a continuous evolution in enterprise software distribution. While tech partnerships continue to form the backbone of indirect GTM strategies, cloud marketplaces are emerging as a critical complement.
This shift suggests a "both/and" future, where companies leverage both tech partnerships, marketplaces and SIs for comprehensive market reach.
Dave Wilner, Operating Partner at Sapphire Ventures, highlights that SaaS startups look to position themselves as part of the 'opinionated, modern stack' for enterprises adopting cloud technologies."
7 Principles of Scaling Cloud Marketplace Operations
Recently in our Cloud GTM Leader course, we had a masterclass from Segev Ben-Zur, who built marketplace operations at Check Point Software, a leading cybersecurity company.
His journey from first deals tracked on Excel sheets to a sophisticated multi-cloud GTM engine offers valuable lessons for alliance leaders.
Key principles that stood out:
1️⃣ Create Center of Gravity
Marketplace touches every department - from lead gen to support. The lack of centralized marketplace operations creates invisible friction. Without central ownership, you're building on quicksand.
2️⃣ Map Key Marketplace Touchpoints Before Scaling
Success requires mapping every marketplace touchpoint inside the company - from lead gen to compensation, sales operations, support, etc. As Segev put it, because "every department within the company has something to do with marketplace," "you must make sure that everyone is aligned."
Understanding how marketplace transactions impact each function reveals dependencies you'll need to address before scaling.
3️⃣ Simplify the Complex
Segev packaged 21 steps of sales enablement into a "3-step process" for sales team.
The lesson? Abstract complexity into digestible chunks while maintaining rigor in the background.
"I call it 'three steps to win the cloud marketplace opportunity.' But if you actually dig in, you would see that those three steps have seven steps for each step which makes it 21 steps. But it's easier to share with someone the 'oh you have three steps.'"
4️⃣ White-Glove the First Deals
"First impressions matter," Segev emphasized.
Early marketplace deals become internal case studies - for better or worse. One bad experience can create lasting resistance.
The solution? Provide white-glove support for initial deals, even if it means going beyond your scope. Your first 5-10 deals shape the internal narrative for the next year.
5️⃣Focus on Early Adopters
Don't try to boil the ocean with enablement. Identify and double down on sellers and partners already comfortable with marketplace GTM.
Their success stories become your internal marketing engine.
6️⃣ Leverage Existing Enablement Channels
Instead of creating new enablement routes, inject marketplace content into established channels - sales kickoffs, partner days, regular training slots. Work with the grain of your organization's communication patterns.
7️⃣ Build the Repeatable Growth Engine
Focus on creating reusable assets and processes: map stakeholders in hyperscalers, clear playbooks, and win wires sending cadence. The goal isn't just closing deals, it's building a repeatable motion that scales.
These principles apply regardless of company size, because the shift to marketplace-first GTM is about rewiring how software companies go to market and build their competitive advantage.
re:Invent & Ignite Strategic Debrief: Special Cloud GTM Leaders Gathering in San Francisco
I'll be at AWS re:Invent and looking forward to connecting in Vegas (feel free to ping me if you’re around)!
But I'm particularly excited about our 🤝 exclusive gathering in San Francisco on December 10th. We will unpack key insights from both re:Invent and Ignite for cloud alliance leaders and what actually matters for your marketplace growth strategies in 2025.
🎯 Why this gathering is unique:
Curated evening focused on actionable cloud marketplace strategies
Intimate group of decision-makers driving cloud GTM in leading ISVs
Interactive format optimized for peer learning & networking
Agenda designed for maximum value:
⚡ Lightning Talks
Beyond the headlines: Key marketplace shifts from re:Invent & Ignite
Data from the field: Which marketplace trends are actually gaining traction (based on training 150+ alliance leaders in Cloud GTM Leader course)
What's working now for fastest-growing ISVs in cloud marketplaces
✔️ Peer Discussions
Common challenges, solutions and implementation strategies that work
Questions we should all be asking to accelerate Cloud GTM in 2025
Practical applications for different partnership models
✔️ Curated Networking
Continued discussions with over drinks
Kindly provided by our partner Clazar
🎯 This is For: Senior cloud alliance & GTM leaders who want to:
Cut through the avalanche of information from re:Invent & Ignite
Connect with peers driving marketplace growth in prominent companies
Get actionable insights for your Cloud GTM strategy in 2025
✔️ Our confirmed participants: Cloud GTM leaders from leading companies and alumni from our 150+ strong Cloud GTM Leader course community.
📅 Tuesday, Dec 10th, 6:30-8:30 PM PST
Downtown San Francisco location
Join me and senior cloud GTM leaders for an evening of strategic insights and connections!