146 - From the Vault: Navigating the Partner Ecosystem - Norma Watenpaugh

Norma Watenpaugh joins the podcast to discuss the importance of customer experience in ecosystem economics. She highlights the role of partners in shaping the customer experience and explains how understanding partner revenue streams is crucial for understanding the overall economics of an ecosystem. 

Norma discusses the significance of building intellectual property with partners and the challenges of measuring partnership influence. She points out that the expectation for time to value has significantly changed in the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, with customers now expecting immediate value. 

Norma also touches on the lagging adoption of new trends by partners and the need for a more agile approach in the channel. 

**Key Takeaways:**

- Partners play a crucial role in shaping the customer experience and are essential for driving business outcomes.
- Understanding partner revenue streams is crucial for understanding the overall economics of an ecosystem.
- Building intellectual property with partners creates stickiness and drives long-term value for customers.
- Measuring influence in partnerships can be challenging, but it is important to track the impact of partners on revenue and customer outcomes.
- The expectation for time to value has significantly changed in the SaaS model, with customers now expecting immediate value.
- Partners often lag behind in adopting new trends, and an agile approach is needed to keep up with market demands.
- Integration partners are important for retaining customers and delivering ongoing value.

**Chapters:**

00:00 Introduction
00:39 The Role of Partners in Sales
01:31 Guest Introduction: Norma Wattenpah
02:27 Understanding Ecosystem Economics
03:01 The Importance of Customer Experience in Ecosystem Economics
03:18 The Role of Partners in Customer Experience
04:04 Understanding Partner Revenue Streams
08:05 Building Intellectual Property with Partners
25:09 The Challenge of Measuring Influence in Partnerships
31:20 The Importance of Customer Value in Software Services
32:10 The Role of Partners in Software Implementation
32:41 Incorporating Partners into Business Growth Plans
33:20 The Shift Towards Post-Sale Consulting
34:19 Understanding the Economic Model of Software Services
34:53 The Impact of Partners on Business Growth
35:57 The Role of Partners in Customer Success
37:47 The Evolution of Business Development and Partnerships
38:36 Understanding the Different Types of Partnerships
40:58 The Importance of Time to Value in SaaS
41:48 The Role of Partners in Customer Retention and Growth
42:07 The Future of Partnerships in Business Development