SaaS growth blueprint: Scaling with partnerships

Developing a solid Go-to-Market strategy, going global and scaling with #channelpartners - this is the foundation of success 📈 for every Enterprise SaaS company. But, how is it all actually done?

Taking inspiration from leading Indian SaaS companies and their GTM strategies, here's a breakdown of what the journey typically looks like. Note that the proportion of international sales may vary based on geographical location.

$0-5M ARR 🌱

This is where it all begins. Founder-led GTM to win initial accounts, with the aid of strategic advisory boards. Here's what the team typically looks like:

Direct Sales: 10-12 FTEs, with 3-5 Account Executives (AEs)

Customer Success & Support (CSS): 5-7 FTEs

$5-20M ARR 🌳

Next comes hiring a CRO/CCO to bolster the leadership team. The formalized AE team, pre-sales, customer success, and BDR/SDRs start to take shape. Still, most of the sales are direct.

Direct Sales: 20-25 FTEs, incl. 4-6 AEs, 8-10 international sales

CSS: 10-12 FTEs

Channel: First 2-5 partners

$20-50M ARR 🏛️

Direct sales continue to expand, and the channel strategy begins to solidify with a dedicated partner team.

Direct Sales: 50-60 FTEs, incl. 12-15 AEs, 20-30 international sales

CSS: 10-12 FTEs

Channel: 10-15 partners

$50-100M ARR 🌐

Sales org starts to segment accounts and align them accordingly.

Channel partnerships are in expansion mode, emphasizing "sell with" strategies.

Direct Sales: 80+ FTEs, incl. 20-25 AEs, 50+ international sales

Channel: 30-40 partners and scaling.

How does your partnership journey align with this framework?

Source: Bain & Company