SaaSy Talk S01.10:The Power of Partnerships in the SaaS Industry
About The Guest(s):
Gauri Chawla, a strategic executive, known for forging global partnerships with key players in SaaS, system integration, and IT/digital realms. She's a sought-after advisor for C-suite leaders, specializing in advancing partnership functions, ecosystem building, cross-functional engagement, brand awareness, and market growth. With a vast international network, she excels in team leadership across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. Gauri serves on the board of Papirfly and leverages her expertise to identify partnerships, devise strategies, and drive revenue growth.
Gauri's career includes leadership roles at Showpad, Marketo, Oracle, and IBM. She holds a Juris Doctorate from Pace University School of Law and a Bachelor of Commerce (with honors) in international business and management information systems from Queen’s University at Kingston.
Summary Gauri shares her journey in the SaaS industry, starting from her days at Oracle to her current role as an executive at InRiver. She explains how she got hooked onto the SaaS industry and the pivotal moments in her career that led her to focus on partnerships and alliances. Gauri emphasizes the importance of partnerships for early-stage startups and provides tips on how to approach and measure partnerships effectively. She also discusses the role of partnerships within an organization and the need for proper enablement and collaboration. Gauri shares valuable insights and advice based on her extensive experience in the industry.
Key Takeaways
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Partnerships are the fastest way to revenue for B2B SaaS startups.
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Early-stage startups should focus on collaborating with regional partners before targeting big consulting firms.
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Enablement is crucial for successful partnerships, both on the technology and consulting sides.
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Metrics for measuring partnerships should include sourced revenue, sourced pipeline, length of sales cycle, conversion rate, and certifications.
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Partnerships should be treated as a separate go-to-market motion and managed as a distinct function within the organization.
Quotes
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"Partnerships is like dating, and you're never going to be exclusive with one person."
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"Partnerships should be tied to revenue, but it's important to have realistic expectations and focus on qualified opportunities."
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"Trust yourself and know your worth. Sometimes walking away is the best decision."
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"Partnerships have a big contribution to how well your customers are doing and how well you're doing."
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"Partnerships should be a separate go-to-market motion, separate from sales and marketing."
Chapters:
(01:00) Gauri's decision to transition to the cloud and SaaS industry
(06:00) Gauri's experience in building partner ecosystems
(10:00) Importance of collaboration and value proposition in partnerships
(14:00) Ricky discusses the importance of enablement for partners
(17:00) Ricky asks about metrics for measuring partnership success
(18:00) Gauri suggests tying partnerships to revenue and qualified opportunities
(27:00) Gauri discusses her transition into different roles and her desire to build something from scratch
(28:00) Gauri emphasizes the importance of knowing when it's time to leave a job
(29:00) Gauri shares her passion for helping startups and providing advice and connections
(31:00) Gauri discusses the joy of seeing her team members succeed in their careers
(32:00) Gauri reflects on the valuable advice she has received, including trusting oneself and knowing one's worth
(35:00) Quick Fire Round
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