I started my partnerships career 12 years ago
Back then, the data behind major partnership decisions lived in spreadsheets and disconnected tools. What’s frustrating is how familiar that still sounds. A lot has improved. Tooling is better. Visibility is higher.
But partnership leaders are still asked to place big bets without the same decision discipline sales and marketing rely on. And when that happens, the problem isn’t hesitation. It’s confidence built on the wrong signals.
That’s what Anthony Kapitanski, Head of Channel Partnerships, ran into at Chili Piper.
This week in Partnerships Unlocked
In this episode, Anthony unlocks:
Why low-ACV partner programs fail
How a $1M pay-to-play with Adobe looked perfect, yet failed in execution
Why misinterpreting overlap data is the most expensive mistake you can make
Is this your typical weekday?
Running a partner program, but can't prove what's driving revenue?
Investing in co-marketing that gets engagement but not pipeline?
Managing agency partners who overpromise and underdeliver?
Staring at a pay-to-play proposal and wondering if the data is real?
Sound familiar? Forward this to someone fighting the same fight.
TL;DW
Here’s what stood out in this episode.
1. What worked under pressure?
"Investing heavily into building a world-class co-marketing program... For us, the answer was we're going to help you with top-funnel leads."
2. What’s the biggest mistake you've made?
"Misinterpreting data and then running into really expensive partnerships."
3. What do you wish you had known earlier?
"You're not being a d*** for walking away from a partnership. You're doing everyone a solid."
Partnerships Unlocked Spotlight
Next week, I unlock Rob Moyer’s playbook
Former VP of Strategic Partnerships at Gong and founder of Bluethread, Rob joins the conversation to break down what actually holds partner programs together once growth exposes every weak seam.
In the next episode:
Why startups and scaled companies fail for the same reasons
Why clarity beats effort once teams start to scale
How process quietly masks bad decisions (and makes them harder to undo)
What separates good partnership leaders from great ones
“The most exceptional people I’ve seen are somewhat crazy…
There’s crazy good and crazy bad. Align yourself with crazy good.”
— Rob Moyer
New to the series?
More fast, tactical sessions with Tai Rattigan (Partnership
Leaders and Rachel Tyers (Okendo) in the weeks ahead.