"Your technology decision is actually your ecosystem decision." – Asher Mathew, CEO of Partnership Leaders

In this episode of Unlock Cloud Go-To-Market, host Patrick Riley sits down with Asher Mathew, CEO of Partnership Leaders, and John Jahnke, CEO of Tackle, to explore how partnerships are reshaping go-to-market strategies. Asher unpacks why companies need to think beyond standalone tech choices and instead view them as ecosystem commitments that impact sales, marketing, and product strategy.

The conversation covers the rise of partner-led growth, how cloud buyer intent data is changing sales motions, and what it takes to align partnerships with corporate strategy.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why CEOs and CROs need to rethink partnerships as a business strategy, not just a sales channel.
• How cloud marketplaces, partner data, and AI-driven insights are shaping the next wave of go-to-market innovation.
• What ISVs should consider when structuring partnerships to drive long-term success.

Resources:
Connect with Asher on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashermathew/
Connect with Patrick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmriley/

Connect with John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnjahnke/ 

Learn more about Tackle: https://tackle.io

Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:10) Partnerships evolving from add-ons to revenue drivers

(03:01) Merging tech, channel, and marketing partnerships

(05:21) Cloud marketplaces reshaping go-to-market strategies

(07:58) Cloud ecosystem decisions driving business growth

(10:18) Multi-cloud strategies aligning product and GTM

(13:19) Chief Partner Officers and their expanding role

(17:46) Measuring partnership impact beyond attribution

(21:04) From resellers to integrated platform partnerships

(25:15) Partner-driven businesses driving revenue growth

(30:07) CROs, CEOs, and corporate partnership strategy

(34:37) Future-proofing partner ecosystems with AI

(39:13) The next evolution of cloud partnerships