partnerships-architect

What this skill does

# Partnerships Architect

End-to-end strategic partnership design and scaling: partnership type selection (tech integration vs channel vs OEM vs strategic), deal structures, partner program design (tiers, benefits, requirements), partner evaluation, and ROI modeling that justifies (or kills) a partnership investment.

This skill is provider-agnostic and works across SaaS, infrastructure, marketplace, and platform companies.

---

## When to use this skill

| Situation | Skill applies |
|-----------|---------------|
| Evaluating a potential partner | Yes — use `scripts/partner_evaluation_scorer.py` + **evaluation framework** |
| Picking partnership type for a specific opportunity | Yes — see **partnership type decision tree** |
| Designing a partner program from scratch | Yes — see **partner program design** + `scripts/partner_program_designer.py` |
| Structuring a specific partnership deal | Yes — see **partnership deal structures** |
| Modeling partnership ROI | Yes — `scripts/partnership_roi_modeler.py` |
| Auditing existing partner portfolio | Yes — use evaluation scorer across all partners |
| Per-deal partner economics | Use `business-growth/channel-economics` |
| Per-deal partner approval | Use `business-growth/deal-desk` |
| Writing the partner contract | Use `business-growth/contract-and-proposal-writer` |

---

## Partnership types — the decision tree

Five primary partnership types. Different goals; different structures; different success metrics.

```
What's the primary goal of this partnership?

Grow our distribution reach
├── Customer-pays-them, they-pay-us → Reseller / Distributor / VAR
├── Customer-pays-us, we-pay-them → Affiliate / Referral
└── Joint sale to mutual customer → Co-sell

Embed our product in their offering
├── Customer doesn't see us (white-label) → OEM
├── Customer sees us as embedded → Embedded ISV / Powered-by
└── We're an option in their marketplace → Marketplace listing

Combine our product with theirs (better together)
├── Pre-integrated, certified → Tech / Integration Partner
├── Bundled offering → Solution Partner
└── Joint product (rare) → Joint Venture

Build market presence together
├── Joint events, content, PR → Co-marketing Partner
├── Industry positioning → Strategic Alliance
└── Standards / consortium → Standards Partner

Achieve a specific strategic goal
├── Block a competitor → Defensive partnership
├── Enter a new market → Market entry partnership
└── Acquire capability → Strategic alliance (often pre-acquisition)
```

See [references/partnership-types.md](references/partnership-types.md) for each type in depth: economic structure, contract patterns, KPIs, when each works / fails.

---

## Partner evaluation framework

Not every potential partner is worth the investment. Use this framework before committing.

### Six evaluation dimensions

| Dimension | What to assess | Score (1-5) |
|-----------|----------------|-------------|
| **Strategic fit** | Does this partnership advance our strategy? Customer base overlap / vertical / region? | |
| **Economic potential** | Realistic pipeline / revenue contribution over 24 months? | |
| **Partner credibility** | Brand, financial stability, technical capability, customer references | |
| **Mutual commitment** | Are they investing equally? Senior sponsor on their side? Resources committed? | |
| **Operational fit** | Can our systems / processes / culture work together? | |
| **Exit-ability** | If it doesn't work, can we wind down cleanly? Are we creating dependencies we can't reverse? |

### Scoring rubric

- 5 — strong yes
- 4 — yes with minor caveats
- 3 — mixed; substantial uncertainty
- 2 — weak; significant concerns
- 1 — no; deal-breaker

**Total 25-30**: green-light; invest with confidence
**Total 18-24**: yellow; structure carefully; small pilot first
**Total < 18**: red; decline or substantially restructure

Use `scripts/partner_evaluation_scorer.py --partner partner.yaml` to score a specific potential partner.

### Killer questions to ask

Before signing any significant partnership:

1. **What does success look like in 12 months?** If both sides can't articulate the same answer, you don't have alignment.
2. **What's their commitment level?** Headcount assigned? Budget? Executive sponsorship?
3. **What's the realistic pipeline in next 12 months?** Specific accounts? Or vague "we have customers"?
4. **Who's the day-to-day owner on each side?** Names + tenure + reporting line.
5. **What happens if we don't hit our shared metrics?** Course-correct? Wind down? Renegotiate?

If you can't get clear answers, the partnership is wishful thinking.

---

## Partnership deal structures

Different deal types call for different structures. Standard patterns:

### Structure A: Standard reseller agreement

- **Term**: 1-3 years, auto-renew
- **Discount**: per published tier matrix
- **Exclusivity**: usually non-exclusive
- **Termination**: 90-day notice both sides
- **Use when**: typical channel relationship

### Structure B: Co-sell agreement (mutual customer)

- **Term**: 1-2 years
- **Compensation**: shared commission OR referral fee
- **Joint marketing commitment**: optional
- **Use when**: complementary offerings; existing or target shared customers

### Structure C: OEM agreement

- **Term**: 3-7 years (long; relationship-heavy)
- **Royalty / rev-share**: % of partner revenue OR per-instance fee
- **Exclusivity**: often partial (specific use case / market)
- **Source code escrow**: usually required
- **Termination**: complex (typically 12-24 months notice; transition rights)
- **Use when**: deeply embedded technical relationship; high mutual investment

### Structure D: Strategic alliance

- **Term**: open-ended; reviewed annually
- **Resources committed**: explicit (e.g., 2 FTEs per side, $X budget per year, joint roadmap session quarterly)
- **Governance**: steering committee (executive sponsors meet quarterly)
- **Specific deliverables**: joint product features, joint customer wins, joint thought leadership
- **Use when**: 5+ year strategic relationship; not transactional

### Structure E: Tech / integration partnership

- **Term**: 1-3 years
- **Compensation**: typically none direct; mutual value from joint customers
- **Certification process**: defined (testing, documentation)
- **Marketplace listing**: typically included
- **Co-marketing**: optional but common
- **Use when**: integration creates joint customer value; no direct revenue flow

See [references/partnership-deal-structures.md](references/partnership-deal-structures.md) for the full deal-structure templates with negotiation guides.

---

## Partner program design

When you scale beyond a few partners, you need a program.

### Three pillars of a partner program

| Pillar | Components |
|--------|------------|
| **Recruitment** | Target partner profile; outreach motion; intake / qualification; onboarding |
| **Enablement** | Training; certification; technical resources; sandbox; partner portal; marketing materials |
| **Activation** | Deal registration; lead sharing; MDF / co-marketing; co-selling motion; quarterly business reviews |

### Standard program elements

- **Partner agreement** (master): tenant-of-the-relationship
- **Tier structure** (Authorized → Silver → Gold → Platinum): different benefits + requirements per tier
- **Deal registration**: protect partner-developed opportunities
- **Certification program**: train + test partners on your product
- **Partner portal**: deal reg, MDF, training, marketing materials, lead sharing
- **MDF (Marketing Development Funds)**: co-funded marketing
- **Channel manager(s)**: 1 per 10-15 active partners
- **Annual partner conference**: community building + recognition

See [references/partner-program-design.md](references/partner-program-design.md) for the full program template including tier definitions, benefit / requirement matrices, and the "Year 1 / Year 2 / Year 3" maturity model.

Use `scripts/partner_program_designer.py --org-spec org.yaml` to