58: Navigating Big-Fish Small-Fish Partnerships - Juraj Pal

Howdy Partners

Juraj Pal, a former employee of Slido and Cisco, shares his experience in navigating partnerships as a small fish in a big pod. He emphasizes the importance of aligning partnerships with long-term product strategies and not forcing partnerships for the sake of a big name.
He also highlights the value of building relationships and embedding partners into the customer journey. Juraj advises regular check-ins and vulnerability to foster trust and collaboration.
He says if you want to drive partnerships, you need structure. He encourages giving partnership updates, even before a formal agreement, to demonstrate commitment and build trust.
**Key Takeaways:**
- Don't force partnerships with big companies just for the sake of a cool logo or brand association.
- Align partnerships with long-term product strategy and roadmap.
- Build relationships across the entire customer journey to foster trust and engagement.
- Focus on adoption in product partnerships to ensure the partnership is driving value for users.
**Quotes:**
- "Not every company should partner with the big fish. It's important to think about how you fit into the ecosystem and leverage it for growth." - Juraj Pal
- "Don't invest in partnerships just because of a cool-sounding name. Focus on how it aligns with your product strategy and goals." - Juraj Pal
******************Chapters:******************
00:00:00 Introduction to the podcast and topic of partnerships
00:01:26 Introduction to the guest and his experience in partnerships
00:03:05 Discussion about the unexpected acquisition of Slido by Cisco
00:05:11 Importance of partnerships in Slido's growth strategy
00:06:01 Perspective for organizations when engaging with bigger players
00:08:28 Importance of working backwards from product strategy in partnerships
00:09:49 Focus on strategic partnerships based on product pillars
00:10:30 Planning exercise for identifying target partners
00:10:50 Discussion on Slido's initial product market fit
00:10:50 Go-to-market strategy for launching a new business segment
00:11:18 The need for product integration with big players like Google.
00:12:09 Importance of fitting into the partner's long-term strategy.
00:13:19 Challenges of gaining attention from larger partner's field teams.
00:15:24 Error of partnering for the sake of a cool logo.
00:17:45 Should smaller companies aim to become big players or leverage ecosystems?
00:18:38 The value of being part of an ecosystem and customer workflows.
00:20:01 Co-marketing activities can have significant impact in partnerships.
00:20:57 Not forcing partnerships that don't make sense.
00:21:42 Importance of thinking through adoption in product partnerships.
00:22:18 Users actually using the product is crucial for success.
00:22:02 Importance of users actually using the product for success