If you’re building your first product, everyone tells you the same thing:
“Sell. Close deals. Grow fast.”

But few people tell you the truth:
partnerships are the quiet engine of sustainable growth.
That's for those building long-term.

Sales win transactions.
Partnerships build ecosystems.

And in every ecosystem that thrives — whether it’s tech, impact, or open-source — the same truth repeats:
no one grows alone. (That brings us back to trust and people.)

Before we go deeper, ask yourself:

• Do you know and believe that the best partnerships are built on joint business benefits, not friendship or branding?

• Do you know that the most valuable ones usually begin when both companies are small and hungry? (Stripe partnered with Shopify when both companies were 30-40 people)

• Do you know that the strongest partnerships form between teams that see the world the same way — with aligned missions, drive, and values? (because of the next question)

• Do you know that in many partnerships, one partner often gives more at first — because they see the long-term potential and feel the alignment?

• In a good partnership, one side delivers something valuable, and the other amplifies it — creating value for both.

• Open-source organizations tend to be good at partnerships by design. But many stop halfway — just before the real value compounding begins.

If any of these made you pause, that’s a good sign.
Because this is the art of partnerships: seeing alignment before everyone else does.

A partnership isn’t a logo swap or an MOU* on a slide deck.
It’s an exchange of trust, distribution, and capability.

• You bring the product or service — something people need.

• Your partner brings skills or access — to customers, regions, or communities you can’t reach.

• Together you create value that neither could alone.

That’s why the best partnerships feel less like business development and more like shared mission building.

*MOU - Memorandum of Understanding (for those lucky enough not knowing it from meetings)

There are three common models — and understanding them can transform how you think about growth.

You share income from deals or projects.

Example:
OpenFn (makers of an open-source data exchange platform) works with local implementation partners who deploy its integration platform for NGOs and governments.
Partners earn by delivering projects; OpenFn earns when the platform is used.
Both win when the system creates measurable impact.

The commercial parallel is Make (formerly Integromat) — a platform where developers and agencies build automation templates and earn by reselling or implementing them for clients.

Web3 parallel is Uniswap - and their wallet integrations.
Different industries, same logic: shared incentives drive adoption.

You build a network where others create value on top of you.

Think of Shopify’s partner network or DHIS2’s global HISP ecosystem.
Each partner localizes, extends, or customizes the core product — and in doing so, expands the reach of the whole ecosystem.

Obvious Web3 case is Ethereum and L2s.

When your partners win, your platform strengthens and becomes indispensable.

You align with another company to enhance your reach or offering.

Apple + Nike.
OpenAI + Microsoft.
Google Cloud + startups showcasing AI.

Polygon × Starbucks Odyssey / Nike .SWOOSH.

These are not integrations — they’re co-created narratives.
They combine strengths to tell a bigger story.

A good partnership is sustainable, not transactional.
You can spot one by looking for three traits:

1. Mutual Value Creation — both parties earn, learn, or grow.

2. Clear Roles & Responsibilities — who does what, who owns what, and how success is measured.

3. Cultural Alignment — shared principles, ethics, and tempo.

Bad partnerships rarely fail because of technology.
They fail because expectations diverge faster than trust can grow.

Most first-time founders obsess over direct user acquisition.
They hustle for every lead, run ads, and build outbound funnels.

But distribution isn’t always linear.
Sometimes the fastest way to grow is through others.

Imagine you:

• Build a tool that integrates seamlessly into what your users already use (like Make).

• Enable others to earn by implementing or reselling it (like OpenFn).

• Create a movement where each participant strengthens the next (like open-source projects or protocols).

When you shift from acquiring users to enabling partners, you stop pushing growth — and start designing systems where growth happens by itself.

It’s slower at first, but it compounds — like trust and reputation do.

Think of your partnership model as a mini-economy.
Every actor should be rewarded for creating value.

Miss one layer and the flywheel slows.
Get all five right, and your ecosystem becomes self-propelling.

Both OpenFn and Make live in the same conceptual space: integration and automation.
But they serve very different worlds.

• Make powers creative and commercial automation — agencies, startups, and enterprises connecting tools like Notion, Slack, and Google Sheets.

• OpenFn powers humanitarian and government integrations — connecting DHIS2, CommCare, Salesforce, and national data systems across continents.

One sells productivity; the other delivers efficiency and impact.
But both rely on the same truth: growth happens when partners extend your product beyond your reach.

That’s ecosystem thinking — the invisible bridge between software and change.

Here’s a simple blueprint to start:

1. Identify your leverage. What can others build on top of, or with?

2. Find natural allies. Who already serves your audience?

3. Align incentives. Money, reach, or shared mission — make it tangible.

4. Systematize success. Create repeatable playbooks, trainings, and co-branded wins.

5. Invest in relationships. Trust takes time — but it multiplies faster than ads.

Partnerships aren’t about closing deals.
They’re about designing systems of mutual benefit.

Sales bring in revenue.
Partnerships bring in resilience.

In a world obsessed with speed and funnels, partnerships remind us of something deeper:
that the real moat isn’t code or marketing — it’s trust embedded in collaboration.

When you think about partnership strategy, don’t think “channel.”
Think network effect with purpose. Channel is just tactics.

When you empower others to grow through you,
your company stops being just a product —
and starts becoming a platform for collective progress.

Ready to build or improve your partnership strategy? Let's do it! 🤝

Till next time, let's BUILD BETTER!

BFG

Publishing every Tue morning UTC and occasionally over the weekends.

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