Partner Managers, find your next career-defining move
Avoid hiring traps and pick a role that skyrockets your partner sales career
The hiring trap many Partner Managers fall into
Partner management is one of the most exciting roles in SaaS—you’re at the intersection of strategy, sales, product, and ecosystem growth. The best PMs are entrepreneurial self-starters who thrive in ambiguity and see opportunity in every corner of the business. They don’t wait for someone to fix things for them; they go and do it.
But here is the trouble: some Partner Managers end up in the wrong job. They find themselves in roles with no revenue impact and little executive buy-in. I've seen some of the best performers burn out like scorched marshmallows hovering too close to the fire.
Building is always an element; a partner programme is hardly ever complete. But the truth is, it's not all in a PM’s control. I've interviewed countless PMs. The best ones ask the right questions and vet their role like investors. Basic due diligence during the hiring process can make all the difference between a thriving career and just another job.
How to diligence your next role
How do you separate the real opportunities from the dead-end jobs? You need to do a little bit of work. I am nearly constantly interviewing new candidates. The ones who come prepared with thoughtful, challenging insights make my day. Nothing is more dull than a week of interviews with candidates who keep asking the same boilerplate questions.
Outside-in due diligence
Outside-in research is all the nitty, gritty fact-checking you can do before directly talking to your target company. This includes some of the most apparent but crucial points:
Product leadership: Do customers love it? Having 3.5 stars on the average review site is not enough; customers must love the product. No product, no revenue.
Revenue growth and profitability: Does your target company have an impressive revenue growth track record? Most SaaS companies are private, making determining their actual revenue and profitability difficult. However, with every new investment round PR announcement, you might get a glimpse of the company's valuation and metrics.
Employee growth: Similar to revenue growth, employee growth indicates the company's growth stage and health. This is typically very transparent on LinkedIn or LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Beware of companies that hire aggressively but have flat revenue. This can mean either one of two things: either this business is at the brink of a supernova revenue explosion, or it’s about to lay off employees.
Investor backing: Does the business have strong investor backing, especially if it is private? Unless the company is pre-Series A, look for some of the top names in the VC and growth fund world. The investor landscape is a topic in itself, but based on who invested in the business, you can gauge what the likely strategy of the business is going to be. Spoiler alert: A Silicon Valley VC-backed AI company will not be happy with high growth; they will want substantial growth. On the other hand, a buyout PE-backed player might focus on decent growth and push for more productivity instead.
Culture: Check all employee review sites. They will give you some indication of the type of people you will be working with.
Tech stack & product: Does the company have a substantially differentiated technology underlying its product, or can other players replicate it with the same or more resources?
Don’t rely purely on online materials to answer some of the questions above. Reach out to people you know who work with or for your target company to get a bit of colour on what otherwise would only give you high-level facts.
Questions to ask during the hiring process
Now, you can only get so much information from outside sources. It is more important to ask the right questions from HR, your hiring manager, and the team you will be working with during the hiring process.
You want to make sure of:
The company has existing revenue from partners—or a well-funded plan to grow it
The CRO or CEO sees partnerships as a critical GTM motion, not an afterthought
Partner-sourced revenue is in sales comp plans, and the team values your contributions
Strong integrations and co-selling motions that drive real customer value
Here are a few example questions for your hiring manager:
What % of revenue is partner-driven today? (If it’s near zero, why?)
Who owns partnerships in leadership, and how senior are they?
What’s the most significant internal pushback partnerships get?
What % of the sales team actively engages with partners?
What does the partner team focus on? (e.g., pipeline, ARR, CSat, etc.)
How are partners compensated?
How do you run partner enablement?
What’s the company’s top priority for partners in the next 12 months?
What is the expectation for me in this role, and what does success look like in 6, 12, and 24 months?
Look for an opportunity, not just a job
Make your next job an opportunity to build a track record; don’t just look for another paycheck. The best Partner Managers will vet companies as if they would invest their hard-earned money in them.
Want to break into a high-impact partnership role? My network and I are always looking for great people to work with.
If you want to build a thriving partner business, fill out this survey below and leave your email address in the final question, adding the comment: ‘Interested in launching a partner business’. Depending on a few time constraints, I will do my best to respond to your note.