Show Notes
Partner-led growth often looks simple from the outside. List on marketplace. Enable co-sell. Build a better together story. But in practice, many ISVs stall long before they see predictable results. In this episode of Inside Partnering, Jen Dawson, Founder and CEO of SaaSNova, explains why. After years working inside AWS and supporting nearly a hundred ISVs, she has seen the same pattern repeat itself. Strong products. Serious ambition. But no clear path to predictable GTM. “What I kept seeing across founders is they had strong products, but they didn’t have a very clear path to predictable GTM.” That realization is what led Jen to start SaaSNova - not as a strategy consultancy, but as an execution-focused operating model for AWS Marketplace and co-sell. Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
AWS Is an Amplification Engine, Not a Safety Net One of the most important reframes Jen offers is how founders should think about AWS itself. Many assume AWS will generate demand if they simply onboard correctly. In reality, the relationship works very differently. “AWS is not the lead gen engine. It’s an amplification engine.” AWS sellers lean in when ISVs show momentum. Clear ICP. Clear value. Active deals. Without those signals, even well-built offerings struggle to gain field attention. This is especially true given the scale of AWS. “AWS is massive. Thousands of sellers. Lots of moving parts.” For ISVs, that scale means simplicity and clarity matter far more than depth or volume. Why the Better Together Story Comes First Jen repeatedly comes back to the importance of joint messaging - not as a marketing exercise, but as the foundation of execution. “The better together messaging becomes the foundation of all GTM programs.” She breaks this into layers: * First, the ISV’s own product story * Second, how that story maps to AWS priorities * Third, how channel or services partners fit into the motion Each layer builds on the previous one. Without that structure, campaigns, pitches, and field enablement break down. The key question every version of the message must answer is the same: Who is this for, and why does it matter right now? Marketplace Is the Route Sellers Prefer From the field’s perspective, AWS Marketplace simplifies everything. Procurement. Alignment. Incentives. “AWS sellers love marketplace because it removes procurement friction for their customers.” Jen emphasizes starting small. Early private offers create momentum and internal proof. Over time, those deals expand into broader CPPO and co-sell motions. Marketplace also plays a critical role for cross-border ISVs trying to establish credibility in the US market. “Making sure you have a marketplace-ready offer so the AWS teams can really lean in.” What Actually Gets Field Attention AWS sellers are not persuaded by long decks or generic positioning. They respond to clarity and quantified impact. “AWS teams are very data driven.” ISVs that can articulate outcomes in concrete terms - time saved, cost reduced, migration accelerated - are far easier for sellers to champion. Jen also points out that products which drive AWS consumption or workload stickiness naturally rise in priority. “If the ISV really increases compute, storage, or keeps workloads on AWS, they become strategically important.” Channel Partners as a Force Multiplier For ISVs focused on scale, channel partners are not optional. “The channel partner adds the acceleration. They add the scale.” Resellers and consulting partners bring reach, relationships, and field capacity that ISVs rarely have on their own. When aligned correctly with AWS motions like CPPO, they significantly extend an ISV’s effective footprint. The Metrics That Signal Seriousness Jen outlines four categories of KPIs that matter most when building credibility with AWS: “Marketplace KPIs. Co-sell KPIs. Adoption and consumption KPIs. Partner progra
More from Inside Partnering
Samrah Khan on partner specialization, faster customer outcomes, and Google Cloud’s evolving ecosystem strategy The system integrator business is undergoing a fundamental transformation. For years, the traditional model was relatively straightforward. Technology vendors sold platforms, customers selected implementation partners, and SIs delivered projects that could stretch across multiple years. AI is changing that equation. Customers want more than technology implementation. They’re looking for partners who can help define their AI strategies, identify business opportunities, develop specialized solutions, and deliver measurable results in months rather than years. In my latest Inside Partnering conversation, I welcomed back Samrah Khan, Director of Google Cloud SI/GSI Ecosystem North America, to explore how these changes are reshaping the partner ecosystem. Samrah leads Google’s SI/GSI partner relationships at a particularly interesting moment. Google Cloud’s business experienced an amazing 82% year-over-year growth in Q2! But the more interesting story isn’t the growth itself. It’s how the expectations of customers, technology providers, and partners are changing. Here are six insights from our conversation. 1. Customers Want a Unified AI Strategy, Not Another Technology Implementation One of Samrah’s clearest observations is that enterprise customers are approaching AI very differently from previous technology transitions. They’re no longer simply shopping for infrastructure or selecting a systems integrator after choosing a platform. Instead, they expect technology providers and partners to work together from the beginning, bringing a comprehensive perspective on business transformation. “Customers are looking at both the partners as well as the hyperscalers or technology providers to come in and look at the whole enterprise from A to Z.” Thanks for reading Inside Partnering! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
For partner leaders, one of the hardest questions isn’t identifying your best-performing partners. Most organizations already know who they are. The harder question is: Who should you invest in next? That question sits at the center of my conversation with Kenneth Fox, CTO and founder of ChannelScaler. Kenneth has spent his career in channels and partnerships, and his perspective combines the technology side of partner management with the practical realities of running partner programs. Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
At Sage FUTURE in San Francisco, I sat down with Dan Miller, EVP of Financials and ERP at Sage, to talk about how Sage is thinking about AI, ecosystem partnerships, and the future of ERP platforms. One of the clearest themes from the conversation was this: finance leaders are not resisting AI. They simply want transparency, accountability, and confidence in the outputs. For partner leaders, ISVs, and ecosystem builders, that creates a very different opportunity than the generic “AI transformation” messaging dominating the market right now. Dan framed it around trust. “What finance and operations professionals really want is confidence in the tools that they’re deploying are doing exactly what they are expected to do.” That requirement shapes how Sage is building both its AI capabilities and its broader partner ecosystem. Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit insidepartnering.substack.com
At Sage FUTURES in San Francisco, Gretchen O’Hara delivered a clear message to partners: the market is shifting fast - and the opportunity is massive. But despite the noise around AI, one thing hasn’t changed. Partners are still at the center of how businesses win. “The channel is one of the most important things because our partners are the ones that have the deepest industry expertise and are closest to customers that can really solve their unique, unique business challenges.” AI may accelerate execution, but it doesn’t replace the need for domain expertise, customer proximity, and trusted advisory. In fact, it amplifies it. Inside Partnering is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.