AI is accelerating cloud ecosystem growth, but it's not a solo game. đ¤ How are successful SaaS and AI companies adapting their cloud GTM playbooks for the AI age? I asked 3 industry leaders - here's what they told me.
đ Partnership strategies are quietly transforming
In our latest podcast, Neeti Gupta, CEO of AI Partnership Consultancy and alum of Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta, unpacked this shift: "Partner playbooks are changing... one-on-one partnerships are happening. Then there'll be the democratization of the tools where basically, what I call the AI to API wave is going to happenâŚ. and then finally the agent phase where the automation will happen."
đŻ Meanwhile, many try to apply AI to GTM on a tactical level:
"From an ISV perspective, I see a lot of trial and error in the go-to-market side of it. And that includes building intelligent bots or assistants that will improve maybe the response from an introduction through a co-sell program at one of the hyperscalers," explained Jonathan Kingsepp, Cloud GTM Mentor and Advisor at Partner Insight.
đ Data and customer value drive AI partnerships
AI is a game-changer, but not a magic bullet. Successful cloud partnerships will be built on data, customer value, and integrations.
"Right now, data is the best value add you can provide... if you, a legacy company, have a large customer base and can provide certain kinds of data that is not available to any of these companies and you can monetize that, that is kind of the Holy Grail," Neeti Gupta highlighted.
đ Cloud Marketplace success requires a long-term view
Amidst the AI hype, it's easy to overlook the importance of relationship building and partnership efforts.
Yan Zhang, former COO of PolyAI, noted on their journey to become one of AWS's key partners: "It could take years between signing up to be a partner and when you have the deal flow...it's a lot of networking within the ecosystem."
đ ď¸ Service partners are crucial, especially for AI companies
"I always push people to think about selling the result, right? Selling the end result rather than just the software because a dirty little secret about people who worked in AI...is that it doesn't always work all that well," Yan underscored.
đĄ The implication is clear: AI will be a rising tide that lifts many boats in the cloud ecosystem. However, hyperscalers aren't just looking for AI buzzwords - they're looking for partners who can bring unique value to their ecosystem.
To capitalize on this opportunity, ISVs and channel partners need to think strategically where they have an edge - whether through data, industry expertise, or custom solutions.
Whatâs your unique advantage and how can you leverage it to become a key partner to hyperscalers?
The answer may define your new cloud GTM playbook.
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