Ecosystem Aces

When you’re a fast-growing startup that wants to start a partnership or alliances organization, how do you get the attention of hyperscalers? 
You bring them a strategic customer. 
That’s exactly how Jackie Maldonado, AVP of Strategy - Cloud Alliances at Turing, approached it, and her organization’s subsequent success speaks for itself.  
In this episode, she talks about the steps they took to architect a thriving partnership organization. 
Join us as we discuss:
How to get the attention of hyperscalers
Working with AWS and Google Cloud on co-selling opportunities
Providing value through talent in joint solutions
Partnerships in an established company versus a fast-growth startup     


Here are some additional episodes featuring other ecosystem leaders that might interest you:
#121 Aligning Ecosystem Strategy with Your Customer as the North Star with Lara Caimi, Chief Partner Officer, ServiceNow
#122 There’s No Easy Button For Partnering with Nicole Napiltonia, VP Of Alliances and OEM Sales, at Barracuda
#106 The Secrets to Managing Alliances Like Microsoft with David Totten, Chief Technology Officer, US Partner Ecosystem at Microsoft
#97 Why Quality Always Beats Quantity in Software Ecosystems with Tom Roberts, Senior Vice President at the Global Partner Organization over at SAP.  


Links & Resources
Learn more about how WorkSpan helps customers accelerate their ecosystem flywheel through Co-selling, Co-innovating, Co-investing, and Co-marketing.
Subscribe to the Ecosystem Aces Podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcast.
Join the WorkSpan Community to engage with other partner ecosystem leaders on best practices, news, events, jobs, and other tips to advance your career in partnering.
Find insightful articles on how to lead and get the most out of your partner ecosystem on the WorkSpan blog.
Download the Best Practices Guide for Ecosystem Business Management
Download the Ultimate Guide for Partner Incentives and Market Development Funds
To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about modern partnering, he can be reached on Twitter, LinkedIn, or send Chip an email at: [email protected]  


This episode of Ecosystem Aces is sponsored by WorkSpan. 
WorkSpan is the #1 ecosystem business management platform. We give CROs a digital platform to turbocharge indirect revenue with their partner teams at higher win rates and lower costs. We connect your partners on a live network with cross-company business applications to build, market, and sell together. We power the top 10 business ecosystems in the technology and communications industry today, managing over $50 billion in the joint pipeline.

In an age where everything is moving to the cloud, those who can migrate your data safely and efficiently are vital. 
And for them, success means having strong partnerships with hyperscalers like Microsoft and AWS. 
Just ask Chris Cochran, Vice President Cloud Strategy and Alliances at Data Dynamics, where alliances are helping him provide customers with everything they need for a successful migration. 
Join us as we discuss:
How Data Dynamics are making cloud migration easy for customers
How Chris approaches partnering with hyperscalers 
The importance of customer-centricity   


Here are some additional episodes featuring other ecosystem leaders that might interest you: 
#121 Aligning Ecosystem Strategy with Your Customer as the North Star with Lara Caimi, Chief Partner Officer, ServiceNow 
#122 There’s No Easy Button For Partnering with Nicole Napiltonia, VP Of Alliances and OEM Sales, at Barracuda 
#106 The Secrets to Managing Alliances Like Microsoft with David Totten, Chief Technology Officer, US Partner Ecosystem at Microsoft 
#97 Why Quality Always Beats Quantity in Software Ecosystems with Tom Roberts, Senior Vice President at the Global Partner Organization over at SAP  


Links & Resources 
Learn more about how WorkSpan helps customers accelerate their ecosystem flywheel through Co-selling, Co-innovating, Co-investing, and Co-marketing.
Subscribe to the Ecosystem Aces Podcast on Apple Podcast , Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcast.
Join the WorkSpan Community to engage with other partner ecosystem leaders on best practices, news, events, jobs, and other tips to advance your career in partnering.
Find insightful articles on how to lead and get the most out of your partner ecosystem on the WorkSpan blog.
Download the Best Practices Guide for Ecosystem Business Management 
Download the Ultimate Guide for Partner Incentives and Market Development Funds 
To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about modern partnering, he can be reached on Twitter, LinkedIn, or send Chip an email at: [email protected]  


This episode of Ecosystem Aces is sponsored by WorkSpan.  
WorkSpan is the #1 ecosystem business management platform. We give CROs a digital platform to turbocharge indirect revenue with their partner teams at higher win rates and lower costs. We connect your partners on a live network with cross-company business applications to build, market, and sell together. We power the top 10 business ecosystems in the technology and communications industry today, managing over $50 billion in the joint pipeline.

Partnering is all about coming together to create more value than you can by yourself. 
So, what’s better than a podcast dedicated to collecting the wisdom of the sharpest minds in partnering? 
Partnering with another podcast with the same mission. 
That’s why I joined Jared Fuller, Member of the Board of Directors at Cloud Software Association, on his podcast, PartnerUp, to share some of the most important lessons we’ve learned across more than 200 podcast episodes. 
Join us as we discuss:
Why partnerships are having their moment
How partners can be a proxy for the market
Why trust is the main ingredient in any partnership     


Here are some additional episodes featuring other ecosystem leaders that might interest you: 
#121 Aligning Ecosystem Strategy with Your Customer as the North Star with Lara Caimi, Chief Partner Officer, ServiceNow 
#122 There’s No Easy Button For Partnering with Nicole Napiltonia, VP Of Alliances and OEM Sales, at Barracuda 
#106 The Secrets to Managing Alliances Like Microsoft with David Totten, Chief Technology Officer, US Partner Ecosystem at Microsoft 
#97 Why Quality Always Beats Quantity in Software Ecosystems with Tom Roberts, Senior Vice President at the Global Partner Organization over at SAP  


Links & Resources 
Learn more about how WorkSpan helps customers accelerate their ecosystem flywheel through Co-selling, Co-innovating, Co-investing, and Co-marketing 
Subscribe to the Ecosystem Aces Podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcast 
Join the WorkSpan Community to engage with other partner ecosystem leaders on best practices, news, events, jobs, and other tips to advance your career in partnering
Find insightful articles on how to lead and get the most out of your partner ecosystem on the WorkSpan blog 
Download the Best Practices Guide for Ecosystem Business Management 
Download the Ultimate Guide for Partner Incentives and Market Development Funds 
To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about modern partnering, he can be reached on Twitter, LinkedIn, or send Chip an email at: [email protected]  


This episode of Ecosystem Aces is sponsored by WorkSpan.  
WorkSpan is the #1 ecosystem business management platform. We give CROs a digital platform to turbocharge indirect revenue with their partner teams at higher win rates and lower costs. We connect your partners on a live network with cross-company business applications to build, market, and sell together. We power the top 10 business ecosystems in the technology and communications industry today, managing over $50 billion in the joint pipeline.

Not too long ago, bespoke products were all the rage. 
Now, whatever isn’t “as a service,” soon will be. 
The death of the SKU has arrived. 
That’s something Ashley Speight, Co-Founder of Channelyze.io, has been thinking about for a long time. He joins the show to discuss what this means for partner ecosystems everywhere. 
Join us as we discuss:
How Channelize is giving visibility across the entire channel
The death of the SKU and what it means for you
What’s next for Channelize    


Here are some additional episodes featuring other ecosystem leaders that might interest you: 
#121 Aligning Ecosystem Strategy with Your Customer as the North Star with Lara Caimi, Chief Partner Officer, ServiceNow 
#122 There’s No Easy Button For Partnering with Nicole Napiltonia, VP Of Alliances and OEM Sales, at Barracuda 
#106 The Secrets to Managing Alliances Like Microsoft with David Totten, Chief Technology Officer, US Partner Ecosystem at Microsoft 
#97 Why Quality Always Beats Quantity in Software Ecosystems with Tom Roberts, Senior Vice President at the Global Partner Organization over at SAP  


Links & Resources 
Learn more about how WorkSpan helps customers accelerate their ecosystem flywheel through Co-selling, Co-innovating, Co-investing, and Co-marketing .
Subscribe to the Ecosystem Aces Podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcast.
Join the WorkSpan Community to engage with other partner ecosystem leaders on best practices, news, events, jobs, and other tips to advance your career in partnering.
Find insightful articles on how to lead and get the most out of your partner ecosystem on the WorkSpan blog.
Download the Best Practices Guide for Ecosystem Business Management 
Download the Ultimate Guide for Partner Incentives and Market Development Funds 
To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about modern partnering, he can be reached on Twitter, LinkedIn, or send Chip an email at: [email protected]  


This episode of Ecosystem Aces is sponsored by WorkSpan.  
WorkSpan is the #1 ecosystem business management platform. We give CROs a digital platform to turbocharge indirect revenue with their partner teams at higher win rates and lower costs. We connect your partners on a live network with cross-company business applications to build, market, and sell together. We power the top 10 business ecosystems in the technology and communications industry today, managing over $50 billion in the joint pipeline.

Whether it’s expanding to new markets or tackling crises…
Everything is easier with the right partner by your side.
Just ask Brian Allison, Vice President of Global Channels and Alliances at Snow Software, whose career has spanned everything from scrappy startups to leviathan corporations — and he has never seen one that couldn’t be improved by the right partners.
Join us as we discuss:
- How to categorize partners
- The 3 C’s of a good partner
- The challenges of scaling — and how partners help you overcome them
- Why customer success is the key to partner success
Here are some additional episodes featuring other ecosystem leaders that might interest you:
- #121 Aligning Ecosystem Strategy with Your Customer as the North Star with Lara Caimi, Chief Partner Officer, ServiceNow
- #122 There’s No Easy Button For Partnering with Nicole Napiltonia, VP Of Alliances and OEM Sales, at Barracuda
- #106 The Secrets to Managing Alliances Like Microsoft with David Totten, Chief Technology Officer, US Partner Ecosystem at Microsoft
- #97 Why Quality Always Beats Quantity in Software Ecosystems with Tom Roberts, Senior Vice President at the Global Partner Organization over at SAP.
Links & Resources
- Learn more about how WorkSpan helps customers accelerate their ecosystem flywheel through Co-selling, Co-innovating, Co-investing, and Co-marketing.
- Subscribe to the Ecosystem Aces Podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcast.
- Join the WorkSpan Community to engage with other partner ecosystem leaders on best practices, news, events, jobs, and other tips to advance your career in partnering.
- Find insightful articles on how to lead and get the most out of your partner ecosystem on the WorkSpan blog.
- Download the Best Practices Guide for Ecosystem Business Management
- Download the Ultimate Guide for Partner Incentives and Market Development Funds
To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about modern partnering, he can be reached on Twitter, LinkedIn, or send Chip an email at: [email protected]
This episode of Ecosystem Aces is sponsored by WorkSpan.

There is always going to be inherent conflict in partnerships. After all, you don’t always share the same strategies, objectives or end goals. 
But according to Amy Guarino, VP Global Alliances at Ironclad and our guest on today’s show, if you can figure out how to overcome those conflicts and find that intersection between what your partner does, what you do, and how that benefits the customer, it can become an incredible competitive advantage. 
In this episode, we discuss:
How Ironclad approaches choosing right-fit partners
How to find the right strategy for co-selling
Why conflict and synergy are synonyms   


Here are some additional episodes featuring other ecosystem leaders that might interest you: 
#121 Aligning Ecosystem Strategy with Your Customer as the North Star with Lara Caimi, Chief Partner Officer, ServiceNow 
#122 There’s No Easy Button For Partnering with Nicole Napiltonia, VP Of Alliances and OEM Sales, at Barracuda 
#106 The Secrets to Managing Alliances Like Microsoft with David Totten, Chief Technology Officer, US Partner Ecosystem at Microsoft 
#97 Why Quality Always Beats Quantity in Software Ecosystems with Tom Roberts, Senior Vice President at the Global Partner Organization over at SAP.  


Links & Resources 
Learn more about how WorkSpan helps customers accelerate their ecosystem flywheel through Co-selling, Co-innovating, Co-investing, and Co-marketing. 
Subscribe to the Ecosystem Aces Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and Google.
Join the WorkSpan Community to engage with other partner ecosystem leaders on best practices, news, events, jobs, and other tips to advance your career in partnering.
Find insightful articles on how to lead and get the most out of your partner ecosystem on the WorkSpan blog.
Download the Best Practices Guide for Ecosystem Business Management 
Download the Ultimate Guide for Partner Incentives and Market Development Funds  
To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about modern partnering, he can be reached on Twitter, LinkedIn, or send Chip an email at: [email protected]   


This episode of Ecosystem Aces is sponsored by WorkSpan.  
WorkSpan is the #1 ecosystem business management platform. We give CROs a digital platform to turbocharge indirect revenue with their partner teams at higher win rates and lower costs. We connect your partners on a live network with cross-company business applications to build, market, and sell together. We power the top 10 business ecosystems in the technology and communications industry today, managing over $50 billion in joint pipeline.

If you want true differentiation in the complex industries underpinning today’s world…
You can’t go it alone.
Today, I’m joined by the team at HARMAN, Brinda Robin, JK Sharma, Prakash Desai, and Keerthi Kumar, to learn how they’re crafting an ecosystem built to shape the future of our most vital industries, from healthcare to communications to manufacturing.
Join us as we discuss:
How HARMAN’s is building a platform to facilitate a partner-driven future
The 3 types of ecosystem
The real-world applications for their platform in health, communications and manufacturing  


Here are some additional episodes featuring other ecosystem leaders that might interest you:
#121 Aligning Ecosystem Strategy with Your Customer as the North Star with Lara Caimi, Chief Partner Officer, ServiceNow
#122 There’s No Easy Button For Partnering with Nicole Napiltonia, VP Of Alliances and OEM Sales, at Barracuda
#106 The Secrets to Managing Alliances Like Microsoft with David Totten, Chief Technology Officer, US Partner Ecosystem at Microsoft
#97 Why Quality Always Beats Quantity in Software Ecosystems with Tom Roberts, Senior Vice President at the Global Partner Organization over at SAP.  


Links & Resources
Learn more about how WorkSpan helps customers accelerate their ecosystem flywheel through Co-selling, Co-innovating, Co-investing, and Co-marketing.
Subscribe to the Ecosystem Aces Podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcast.
Join the WorkSpan Community to engage with other partner ecosystem leaders on best practices, news, events, jobs, and other tips to advance your career in partnering.
Find insightful articles on how to lead and get the most out of your partner ecosystem on the WorkSpan blog.
Download the Best Practices Guide for Ecosystem Business Management
Download the Ultimate Guide for Partner Incentives and Market Development Funds
To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about modern partnering, he can be reached on Twitter, LinkedIn, or send Chip an email at: [email protected]  


This episode of Ecosystem Aces is sponsored by WorkSpan.
WorkSpan is the #1 ecosystem business management platform. We give CROs a digital platform to turbocharge indirect revenue with their partner teams at higher win rates and lower costs. We connect your partners on a live network with cross-company business applications to build, market, and sell together. We power the top 10 business ecosystems in the technology and communications industry today, managing over $50 billion in the joint pipeline.

You’ve heard of an MQL — but what about an EQL? 
In a world where 30% of all trade is slated to go through ecosystems by 2025, the go-to-market exercise can no longer be thought of as simply marketing and sales. 
Ecosystems are the true top of the funnel — and it’s time we acknowledge it. 
Today’s guest, Allan Adler, Managing Partner at Digital Bridge Partners, is one of the few out there sounding the alarm on this and other ways the shifting role of ecosystems will shape the coming decade. 
Join us as we discuss:
How ecosystems have fundamentally altered the go-to-market landscape
Why ecosystems are a CEO function
The evolution of the funnel and the rise of EQLs   


Here are some additional episodes featuring other ecosystem leaders that might interest you: 
#121 Aligning Ecosystem Strategy with Your Customer as the North Star with Lara Caimi, Chief Partner Officer, ServiceNow 
#122 There’s No Easy Button For Partnering with Nicole Napiltonia, VP Of Alliances and OEM Sales, at Barracuda 
#106 The Secrets to Managing Alliances Like Microsoft with David Totten, Chief Technology Officer, US Partner Ecosystem at Microsoft 
#97 Why Quality Always Beats Quantity in Software Ecosystems with Tom Roberts, Senior Vice President at the Global Partner Organization over at SAP.  


Links & Resources 
Learn more about how WorkSpan helps customers accelerate their ecosystem flywheel through Co-selling, Co-innovating, Co-investing, and Co-marketing. 
Subscribe to the Ecosystem Aces Podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcast. 
Join the WorkSpan Community to engage with other partner ecosystem leaders on best practices, news, events, jobs, and other tips to advance your career in partnering.
Find insightful articles on how to lead and get the most out of your partner ecosystem on the WorkSpan blog.
Download the Best Practices Guide for Ecosystem Business Management 
Download the Ultimate Guide for Partner Incentives and Market Development Funds  
To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about modern partnering, he can be reached on Twitter, LinkedIn, or send Chip an email at: [email protected]  


This episode of Ecosystem Aces is sponsored by WorkSpan.  
WorkSpan is the #1 ecosystem business management platform. We give CROs a digital platform to turbocharge indirect revenue with their partner teams at higher win rates and lower costs. We connect your partners on a live network with cross-company business applications to build, market, and sell together. We power the top 10 business ecosystems in the technology and communications industry today, managing over $50 billion in the joint pipeline.

Every partnership demands a unique approach because every partnership is different… 
And if you want an alliance to succeed, you need to understand what makes your partnership unique. 
But you can’t do that unless you know what you’re trying to achieve in the first place. 
That’s how Parul Chheda, Vice President Strategic Alliances at CoreStack, approaches alliances with hyperscalers — a unique kind of partner with unique needs. 
Join us as we discuss:
Why hyperscalers are an ideal partner for CoreStack and their customers
The unique demands that come with working with hyperscalers
The smart way to approach automation  


Here are some additional episodes featuring other ecosystem leaders that might interest you: 
#121 Aligning Ecosystem Strategy with Your Customer as the North Star with Lara Caimi, Chief Partner Officer, ServiceNow 
#122 There’s No Easy Button For Partnering with Nicole Napiltonia, VP Of Alliances and OEM Sales, at Barracuda 
#106 The Secrets to Managing Alliances Like Microsoft with David Totten, Chief Technology Officer, US Partner Ecosystem at Microsoft 
#97 Why Quality Always Beats Quantity in Software Ecosystems with Tom Roberts, Senior Vice President at the Global Partner Organization over at SAP  


Links & Resources 
Learn more about how WorkSpan helps customers accelerate their ecosystem flywheel through Co-selling, Co-innovating, Co-investing, and Co-marketing. 
Subscribe to the Ecosystem Aces Podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcast. 
Join the WorkSpan Community to engage with other partner ecosystem leaders on best practices, news, events, jobs, and other tips to advance your career in partnering.
Find insightful articles on how to lead and get the most out of your partner ecosystem on the WorkSpan blog. 
Download the Best Practices Guide for Ecosystem Business Management 
Download the Ultimate Guide for Partner Incentives and Market Development Funds  
To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about modern partnering, he can be reached on Twitter, LinkedIn, or send Chip an email at: [email protected]  


This episode of Ecosystem Aces is sponsored by WorkSpan.   
WorkSpan is the #1 ecosystem business management platform. We give CROs a digital platform to turbocharge indirect revenue with their partner teams at higher win rates and lower costs. We connect your partners on a live network with cross-company business applications to build, market, and sell together. We power the top 10 business ecosystems in the technology and communications industry today, managing over $50 billion in the joint pipeline.

A fruitful partnership, just like any relationship, is a two-way street. Both parties need to benefit from it. 
That’s why heavily investing in the success of your partners is the best way to ensure a profitable, mutually-beneficial and long-term partnership. 
Kieran Krohn, Principal Channel Account Manager at Hubspot, lives by this philosophy and it has served him well in his career. With a wealth of knowledge on the topic of partnering, he shares his many insights with us today. 
In this episode, we discuss:
Hubspot's partner ecosystem
The importance of goal setting and investing in partner success
Understanding your partner’s sales process
How Hubspot approaches co-selling  


Here are some additional episodes featuring other ecosystem leaders that might interest you: 
#121 Aligning Ecosystem Strategy with Your Customer as the North Star with Lara Caimi, Chief Partner Officer, ServiceNow 
#122 There’s No Easy Button For Partnering with Nicole Napiltonia, VP Of Alliances and OEM Sales, at Barracuda 
#106 The Secrets to Managing Alliances Like Microsoft with David Totten, Chief Technology Officer, US Partner Ecosystem at Microsoft 
#97 Why Quality Always Beats Quantity in Software Ecosystems with Tom Roberts, Senior Vice President at the Global Partner Organization over at SAP.  


Links & Resources 
Read Kieran’s LinkedIn post on partnership. 
Learn more about how WorkSpan helps customers accelerate their ecosystem flywheel through Co-selling, Co-innovating, Co-investing, and Co-marketing. 
Subscribe to the Ecosystem Aces Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and Google.
Join the WorkSpan Community to engage with other partner ecosystem leaders on best practices, news, events, jobs, and other tips to advance your career in partnering.
Find insightful articles on how to lead and get the most out of your partner ecosystem on the WorkSpan blog. 
Download the Best Practices Guide for Ecosystem Business Management 
Download the Ultimate Guide for Partner Incentives and Market Development Funds  
To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about modern partnering, he can be reached on Twitter, LinkedIn, or send Chip an email at: [email protected]  


This episode of Ecosystem Aces is sponsored by WorkSpan.   
WorkSpan is the #1 ecosystem business management platform. We give CROs a digital platform to turbocharge indirect revenue with their partner teams at higher win rates and lower costs. We connect your partners on a live network with cross-company business applications to build, market, and sell together. We power the top 10 business ecosystems in the technology and communications industry today, managing over $50 billion in joint pipeline.