Partnership Growth

🇪🇺Operarional recommendations from chapter 6 on hybrid threats from EU Institute for Security Studies Chaillot Paper 186: 🇷🇺 Exploit the vulnerabilities of Russia’s strategy : 🔹Russia tailors its messaging to local contexts, but at the expense of overall coherence. 🔹Exploit Russia’s self-image and quest for status: expose contradictions in Russian rhetoric versus reality — using satire and incisive mockery to erode credibility. 🔹un-power by reducing Russia’s capacity to exploit informational vulnerabilities across Europe. ⚔️ Counter these Russian narratives: • Russia as a legitimate alternative to the liberal international order, fighting a hypocritical “collective West” • faltering European unity & internal divisions • cultural, religious, and historical affinities (esp in the Western Balkans) justify support to Moscow & use of local proxies 🧱 Fix European vulnerabilities 🔹our information environment made of fragmented media, technological disruption, psychological susceptibility to emotive, belief-based narratives. 🔹resist shift into a “post-truth” space, where audiences accept narratives based on beliefs and emotions rather than facts. 🔹build cohesion & shared approach to information resilience 👣 Strategic Recommendations: 🔹Expose and Degrade Russian Narratives • Use Russia’s own rhetoric and imagery to highlight contradictions and discredit its moral posture. • Apply satire, humour and creative storytelling to reach broader audiences and undermine authoritarian seriousness. 🔹Enable Deterrence in the Information Space • Ensure hostile influence operations face visible consequences, through attribution, exposure, and, where possible, sanctions or counter-measures. • Publicly naming Russian information operations can degrade credibility and deter future ones. 🔹Tailor Messaging and Engagement • Mirror Russia’s localised approach: adapt EU communication to local cultures, grievances & vulnerabilities. • Build joint EU–Member State–partner frameworks for both rapid reactive messaging and proactive influence campaigns. • Promote positive narratives highlighting democratic resilience, transparency, and EU values — not only debunking lies, but shaping the discourse. 🔹Integrate Information into the Wider Strategy • Treat the information dimension as integral to the resilience–deterrence–un-powering triad. • Move beyond passive defence: actively shape the information ecosystem to limit Russia’s capacity to manipulate it. • Extend analysis and tailored responses to key regions identified in the report — Europe, the Balkans, the Mediterranean, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

I made it to VP at Amazon because of the people I partnered with. The same is true for building my part-time business that made $950k last year. Create the partnerships that will let you leap forward - here’s how: 1) Understand Productive Partnerships Here are some examples of the partnerships that propelled my career: a) I partnered with my first boss out of college. I taught her technology, she taught me leadership and drove my first two promotions (lead engineer, then manager). b) At Amazon, my first lead engineer and I worked together for 8 years. I went from Senior Manager to Director to VP while he went from SDE to Senior SDE to Manager to Senior Manager to Director - FOUR PROMOTIONS. c) My COO, Jason Yoong, reached out to me and initiated our partnership by volunteering to build my Substack newsletter. Someone has to take the first step, and he did. d) Most recently, I formed the “Career Growth Collective,” where I invited LinkedIn voices Omar Halabieh, Steve Huynh, and Rajdeep Saha to work with me to amplify our messages across platforms and groups to help more people. Each person in this partnership brings different strengths. Steve and Raj are senior individual contributors with strong YouTube presences. They bring the “Principal” level perspective. Omar is based in Dubai and is actively leading a big team. He also cranks out amazing graphics every day. The different strengths that each person brings leads me to part 2. 2) The Partnership Recipe: i) Build trust with your potential partner Be honest, be friendly, be helpful! ii) Figure out a win-win partnership With my first boss, she needed a technical advisor and I needed management sponsorship. Years later, my first lead engineer did for me what I had done for her. He provided the technical expertise while I sponsored his growth With Raj, Steve, and Omar, we all want to find new readers who will get value from our work. Tip: Take the first step. Invest in the other person without a guarantee of repayment. This will kickstart the partnership, whereas waiting for the other person to make the first move will not. iii) You don’t need perfection I proposed the Career Growth Collective idea to 4 people. 3 accepted and we are thriving together. The main message I want to share with all of this is that you do not need to “go it alone” in your career. What you do need to do is risk that a few people will not return your investment in them when you try to establish partnerships. That is OK. Learn, move on, find others who will. The value of the successful partnerships will greatly outweigh the time and effort put into the ones that didn’t pan out. Who have you partnered with? Praise or thank them in a comment! Who would you like to partner with? Send them this post with a note saying it inspired you to work more closely with them. Steve, Omar, and Raj have shared their own ideas on partnership today. Follow them and read their ideas.

Yesterday the Head of Partnerships at a $200M health-tech company asked me how to take their partner program from being a C-suite afterthought to a mission-critical GTM strategy. My answer was simple... Data. Let me explain. Partnerships are fluffy. At least that’s what most Boards, C-suites, and Executives think. Why? Because most partner teams struggle with data. Due to unrealistic revenue targets, timelines and limited resources, partnership leaders are often scrambling from day 1. To catch up, they often skip the most important step: Setting up solid processes, KPIs and the mechanisms to track them. So when an important stakeholder asks them for a QUANTITATIVE justification for their activities they either stare back blankly or slap together some unconvincing back-of-the-napkin math. And forget about realistically forecasting more than a quarter out. This is virtually impossible for most partner teams. How can you become a mission-critical GTM strategy if your leadership can’t clearly understand what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and what value it’s going to drive for the business. This is not the way. Partnership leaders need to start being meticulous about data. We need to take the time to set up good processes and tracking mechanisms. You must measure and track everything! - Partner lifecycle - Sourced deal funnels - Influenced deal funnels - Partner marketing outcomes - Integration adoption - Partner ROI - Revenue by partner - Revenue by partner manager - And a dozen other things The value of this should not be underestimated. Only by measuring and tracking will you be able to understand what’s working and what’s not. When you take the time to do this right, you’ll be able to prove to your C-suite the impact your partnerships strategy has driven for the business and what impact it *will* drive looking forward. You’ll be able to show the leaders of Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success how you’ve made them and their teams more successful. You’ll be able to forecast, budget, and scale a predictable partner program. As partnerships leaders we understand the value of partnerships in our blood. But up until now, we’ve lacked the operational rigor to prove it out. Let’s become data-driven operators and make partnerships an undeniable, mission-critical GTM strategy. Not just an afterthought.

Growth is still on the table. But most GTM plans only build on last year. Category leaders don't think that way. This year CEOs, sales, and BD leaders I coach are making 5 strategic shifts to unlock partnership-driven revenue. Here’s their thinking: 1. Redesign for revenue leverage → Upgrading incentives → Redefining BD as market-making → Focusing sales on revenue conversion 2. Prioritise the right partners → Evaluating mutual benefit, trust and velocity → Using a “Partnership Potential Score” to focus on high-leverage allies 3. Build a co-sell access gateway → Give BDs fast access to top 3 co-selling partners who are ready to create leverage 4. Reflect on historic momentum → Analyse last year’s top 10 deals for partner impact → Identify where they influenced pipeline, speed or retention 5. Operationalise your partnership system → Codify onboarding, first wins, and partner enablement → Equip champions inside and outside your org The difference between 10% growth and market dominance? Moving from ad hoc deals to a scalable system. Remember this: Partnerships aren't a channel. They’re the strategy your competitors haven’t figured out. Yet. Need to capture growth? Send your team to The Partnership Lab. A 12 week group coaching program delivers the strategy, AI-based tools and community to close 6-figure deals with confidence. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/etQTiW6u ♻️ Repost to help a BD leader or founder move to category leader ➕ Follow Phil Hayes-St Clair for more like this

When corporate–startup partnerships fail, it’s rarely because the tech/product/strategy didn’t work. It’s because the trust didn’t. So, how can corporates and startups build trust so the value goes beyond capital? This was one of the key questions we discussed at the NeXTT Awards panel recently. If you want partnerships to deliver value beyond capital, the foundation has to be built before the deal on shared intent, aligned ways of working, and human connection. I’ve seen the most successful collaborations follow a simple rhythm: Build trust before the deal - be transparent about why you’re partnering, not just what you’ll get. Design for mutual wins - share KPIs, not just invoices. Reduce operational friction - fast-track decisions and simplify processes. Keep relationships human - senior sponsors and everyday champions matter more than quarterly reviews. Invest in the ecosystem together - co-create, share knowledge, and celebrate wins publicly. Because trust isn’t built in contracts. It’s built in conversations, in small acts of reliability, and in the sense that both sides are equally invested in the success of the other. When both sides feel heard, supported, and respected, that’s when value truly goes beyond capital. #Startups #CorporateInnovation #Trust #Leadership #Collaboration #BeyondCapital

The path to European #defence readiness 👇   Growing geopolitical threats and a weakened transatlantic alliance have pushed #Europe to reassess its defence strategy, driving major investments at national and international levels. Yet, achieving sustainable deterrence is about more than just financial investment. It calls for a holistic approach that integrates industrial innovation, agile manufacturing, and cross-sector collaboration.   Recently, Felix Mogge and I had the opportunity to sit down with Sven Astheimer from Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung to discuss what we call the deterrence threshold – the industrial output needed to deter potential aggressors. To ensure credible deterrence, Europe must exceed Russia's projected arms production (+25% by 2030) by at least 10%. In our latest study, "The Defence Imperative. Driving Innovation and Resilience on Europe's Path to Strategic Autonomy", we outline four interconnected industrial pathways to get there:   🔹 Increasing peacetime production capabilities 🔹 Focused investment in production assets to modernize existing lines 🔹 Collaboration with civil industries 🔹 Expanding production with smart, affordable, mass solutions   Realizing these pathways requires a clear allocation of responsibilities among partner countries and a commitment to a joint deterrence policy. The recent visit of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to Kyiv, alongside leading politicians from France, Great Britain, and Poland, sends exactly the right signal at the right moment.   With unity, determination and a clear strategic vision, Europe can lay the groundwork for sustainable deterrence that not only protects its borders but also defends the liberal #democracy cherished by the vast majority of Europeans.   Read the full article in today's FAZ print edition or online here (in German): https://lnkd.in/eyEMqV6w   #RolandBerger

If I’d built my company alone, The hardest part wouldn’t have been the work It would’ve been the loneliness Bringing on a co-founder was a pivotal decision. It didn’t just lighten the workload It accelerated growth, Added depth to our strategy, And created resilience in the face of challenges. Most successful companies, think Apple, Google, and Facebook, were built by co-founders. There’s a reason for this. A co-founder allows you to: 1. Bring complementary skills to the table. 2. Divide the workload and focus on your strengths. 3. Provide emotional balance during the highs and lows of start up life. The right co-founder offers perspective and shared accountability when decisions get tough. But not all co-founders are created equal. Finding the right partner requires: - Alignment on values: Share a vision, agree on risk tolerance, and plan for the long term. - Complementary skills: Your strengths should offset their weaknesses, and vice versa. - Stress management: How they handle pressure can define your partnership. When my co-founder and I started, we didn’t just share the workload, we brought diverse perspectives. Neither of us is originally from the UK, but our different backgrounds has helped us identify opportunities and challenge assumptions in ways that would not have been possible alone. If you’re considering finding a co-founder Here’s where to start: 1. Look for people you know, friends, colleagues, or even former classmates. 2. Test compatibility by working on a small project, like an MVP, before committing. 3. Use platforms like Y Combinator’s Co-Founder Matching if your immediate network doesn’t have the right fit. Once you have found the right person, structure the relationship thoughtfully: - Equity splits should reflect individual contributions but remain motivating. - Use a four-year vesting schedule with a one-year cliff to protect the business. - Define roles early, clarity avoids friction later. Having a co-founder isn’t essential, but it can transform your start up’s trajectory. For me, it’s been a partnership built on trust, shared ambition, and a willingness to fail together. What’s your perspective on working with a co-founder?

Meeting deadlines is just the start. To build strong relationships, you need to become partners for your clients for long-term success. I've realized that success is so much more than just checking off tasks. It’s about creating partnerships rooted in trust, understanding, and shared growth. This mindset shapes everything we do, especially when it comes to our clients. With a couple of examples, let me lay down our approach to partnerships that translate into real, impactful outcomes: 🔍 The Challenge: Our client was facing constant delays and dealing with poor candidate matches from previous vendors. Frustrated and running out of options, they turned to us for help. 👥 Our First Step: After our exploratory call, we sent over two candidate profiles. They were a 60% match—better than before, but far from perfect. We knew we needed to go beyond the basics. 🔎 Deep Dive for the Perfect Fit: We didn’t stop there. We scheduled a detailed meeting to truly understand their product, job roles, and long-term vision. This allowed us to tailor our approach and find exactly what they needed. 💡 The Game-Changer: With a deeper understanding of their unique needs, we delivered candidates who were a 95% match. This didn’t just improve the hiring process—it cut their hiring cycle in half. The new hires aligned seamlessly with their goals and vision. 🤝 Ongoing Partnership: Our dedicated account managers continued working closely with the client, providing ongoing support as they scaled their engineering team. The result? A stronger, more efficient engineering department ready to drive the company forward. What’s your approach to nurturing long-term client relationships? Share your insights below!

𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 With a decade of experience, from founding my first business in 2014 to achieving two successful exits, I’ve learned the immense value of collaboration, which we continue to prioritize at X-Shift through partnerships with local and global players. Building strategic business relationships is one of the most pivotal factors in driving business growth, especially in the tech sector. As someone who has navigated this landscape for years, I'd like to share a few invaluable lessons for anyone looking to scale their business through collaboration. 𝟏. 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝: Partnerships give you access to the resources, expertise, and technologies that would otherwise take years to build internally. The right partnership can be the difference between staying stagnant and growing exponentially. 𝟐. 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥: One of the most powerful lessons I've learned is the value of blending global innovation with local expertise. For instance, at X-Shift, our collaborations with companies like XEBO.ai (Survey2Connect) Exotel or Knowmax allow us to bring cutting-edge technologies and innovation to our region. But it's our deep understanding of the local market that ensures these solutions resonate and succeed. It’s a perfect balance of global insight and local relevance. 𝟑. 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐧-𝐧𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞: A successful partnership is built on trust and alignment. It’s not just about the technology or the business deals. Shared goals and a common vision create the foundation for long-term, sustainable growth. Without trust, even the most promising collaboration will fall apart. 𝟒. 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐞𝐲: Stagnation is the enemy of growth. The tech sector evolves fast, and being adaptable helps you stay ahead of the curve. Don’t be afraid to pivot when necessary. 𝟓. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧-𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐬: The best partnerships are those where both parties walk away better off. Seek out collaborations where both sides gain value, whether it’s through shared technologies, expanded markets, or enhanced capabilities. A partnership should be a journey of mutual growth, not just a transaction. While collaborations offer limitless opportunities, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 key question we must ask ourselves as companies is: have we done great work internally, to position ourselves for success when those collaboration opportunities arise? #collaboration #business #tech #global #saudiarabia #KSA