Case Study: Accelerating GTM Activation with AWS Cloud & AWS Marketplace at Scale with Emerging Technology Partners - Rising Star ISVs

Details have been generalized and anonymized to protect client confidentiality while preserving the integrity of the work and outcomes.

Leveraging a repeatable GTM framework, I led a partner‑led marketing enablement program in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) that accelerated joint GTM, co-marketing activation timelines from over a year to under six months across 60+ channel partners.

The multi‑phased program supported dozens of growth‑stage SMB and startup ISVs through both individualized and scaled engagement models, with coordinated execution across AMERICAS, EMEA, APAC, and LATAM. While globally delivered, the primary commercial focus was accelerating market penetration in the AMERICAS.

THE CHALLENGE

Partners were expected to execute joint go‑to‑market and co‑sell motions with AWS, yet many partnerships remained unactivated or stalled. Growth‑stage and venture-backed ISVs and their boards consistently flagged the complexity of engaging effectively within a large cloud partner ecosystem. Without a clear, repeatable playbook, executive teams hesitated to commit resources, leaving meaningful growth opportunities unrealized.

Traditional, ad‑hoc enablement approaches lacked structure, predictability, and measurable outcomes. Venture‑backed startup and SMB partners were eager to co‑market and co‑sell with AWS but lacked clarity on how to gain traction, align with sellers, or operationalize engagement at scale. Marketing investments were already increasing, yet many partners struggled to navigate the broader cloud marketing ecosystem without incurring additional, inefficient spend.

Compounding this challenge, partners often faced internal disruption—from shifting market dynamics to team changes—while struggling to clearly demonstrate return on investment from their cloud partnerships to executive leadership and investors. Organizations without dedicated partner marketing support sought closer, more effective collaboration with cloud marketing and sales teams to drive momentum.

From the cloud provider perspective, engagement data indicated that only a subset of growth‑stage partners were actively participating in structured co‑sell motions, revealing significant untapped potential across AMERICAS‑based ISVs and select global partners spanning EMEA, APAC, and LATAM.

These conditions required a highly strategic, well‑structured solution—one that simplified joint GTM complexity, aligned cross‑organizational stakeholders, and enabled scalable growth through trusted partner ecosystems that ISVs and their investors could confidently continue to invest in.

THE SOLUTION

I led the design, development, and delivery of a scalable GTM program in collaboration with AWS partner and marketplace teams, aligning program strategy to priority business objectives and accelerating activation across previously under‑engaged, high‑growth potential partner relationships. The program supported multiple cohorts of growth‑stage ISVs through a structured, phased approach designed to drive repeatable co‑marketing and co‑sell execution.

Operating through a leading B2B technology agency and consulting firm, I directed and collaborated with a cross‑functional team of more than 25 strategists, creatives, project managers, customer success leaders, and vendor partners. Together, we executed an integrated GTM and content marketing program that delivered joint value propositions, field‑ready enablement assets, multi‑channel campaigns, and creative activation models designed to scale across partner portfolios.

Prior to expanding into a large‑scale, one‑to‑many engagement, I served as the primary program architect and delivery lead—owning strategy, execution, and client alignment end‑to‑end during the pilot phase. As the program scaled, I systematically introduced specialized talent and operating rigor to support sustained growth, consistency, and measurable outcomes.

From proposing and scoping program granules and contracts, to identifying and sourcing specialized talent, to upskilling teams across varying seniorities and throughout the consulting agency, AWS, and ISV partner organizations - I helped position everyone involved including myself as industry leaders and trusted members within their organizations and across 12 industries including cybersecurity, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, data analytics, and cloud infrastructure.

A simple and highly effective GTM Activation Framework

As a strategic consultant, my job is to broadly and deeply understand my client's landscape to provide and drive the most optimal outcomes. I leveraged this framework as my foundational approach across program motions. Our clients were not managing us, I ensured we carried our weight and kept things moving.

The co-marketing program spanned 6 months with another 6 months invested for co-sell across 1:1 and 1:many scale. Timeline caveats depended on the complexity of partnerships.

The Start of my 360° Consultant Practice - Advisor to the Executives

Ahead of this engagement, I initially operated in a hybrid role spanning program management, content strategy, creative services delivery, and strategic GTM consulting—supporting partner‑led, cloud‑led, and joint GTM activation initiatives in collaboration with AWS partner and marketplace teams. Over time, this work evolved into a full‑spectrum, 360‑degree growth advisory role across all dimensions of go‑to‑market execution.

I joined an existing client environment where senior cloud GTM and partner leaders were already engaged in long‑running initiatives focused on improving seller readiness and partner activation across ISVs, GSIs, MSPs, and extended channel ecosystems. Within this context, I contributed to the design and delivery of scalable enablement programs, including the development of structured onboarding experiences and field‑ready training designed to support consistent execution at scale.

Working closely with partner marketing leadership, I supported initiatives aimed at increasing adoption of cloud and partner solutions through marketplace‑driven motions. My responsibilities spanned program management, content strategy, and execution—coordinating complex workstreams, developing messaging and assets, and ensuring delivery against aggressive timelines.

As these initiatives expanded, I stepped into a senior strategic GTM consulting and service delivery leadership role—owning program strategy, challenging assumptions, translating executive vision into execution, and building trusted relationships through consistent, high‑quality delivery.

As partners were onboarded, I collaborated with cloud partner leaders and executive teams to articulate clear value exchange frameworks that aligned stakeholder expectations and secured sustained sponsorship. This included co‑developing positioning and outcome‑driven messaging that addressed partner pain points and reinforced the tangible benefits of co‑marketing and co‑sell engagement. Through this work, I guided C‑suite and executive leaders across cloud partnerships and alliances through multiple phases of GTM maturity, positioning both my clients and delivery teams as trusted strategic advisors and market leaders.

A few highlights from the program that I'm proud of

Designed ISV Recruitment Model

I designed and implemented a GTM readiness scoring model that combined partner identification criteria with activation signals and prioritization protocols. This framework enabled program teams to clearly assess which partners demonstrated both strategic alignment and execution readiness—allowing focus on those best positioned to drive incremental cloud service adoption and revenue growth.

By introducing structure, visibility, and repeatability into partner selection and activation, the model materially reduced activation timelines from over a year to under six months and improved the efficiency of partner‑sourced revenue motions.

Enabled & Onboarded Partner Ecosystems

I led strategic program onboarding that delivered measurable operational efficiency gains, including 20–35% reductions in time spent across core GTM workflows. As part of this effort, I enabled both partner and cloud‑aligned teams through structured co‑marketing and co‑sell training designed to support consistent execution.

I developed tailored program strategies, executive‑aligned workshops, co‑marketing and co‑sell playbooks, messaging and market positioning frameworks, and joint value propositions. These assets empowered partners to confidently execute, track, and measure sophisticated multi‑touch campaigns and content strategies at scale.

Collectively, these efforts drove strong utilization of available marketing investments, exceeded industry benchmarks, and significantly reduced sales ramp time across participating partners.

Aligning Cross‑Functional Organizations at Scale

I designed and facilitated cross‑functional collaboration across cloud GTM teams, operations groups, dozens of ISV organizations, channel partners, creative agencies, and external vendors. This work included establishing clear roles and responsibilities, shared performance indicators, and coordinated workflows and schedules.

The result was reduced friction, improved visibility across organizations, and a shared operating rhythm that ensured stakeholders across every line of business operated with clarity, alignment, and collective accountability.

Enforced Brand Compliance

I established and maintained rigorous quality‑control standards across all partner‑facing, customer‑facing, and agency‑delivered assets to ensure brand consistency, security messaging accuracy, and compliance with ecosystem standards. Through formal training and close collaboration with brand and compliance stakeholders, I developed deep expertise in brand governance and messaging requirements.

Acting as a trusted advisor, I guided partners and creative teams through legal review processes, security considerations, and messaging governance—enabling them to maintain execution velocity while meeting brand and compliance expectations. This approach consistently produced high‑quality, market‑ready assets that balanced trusted cloud brand positioning with clear ISV differentiation.

Broad and Deep Program Management

I naturally led this program with a blend of disciplined program management and creative intuition—bringing the level of strategic and creative intelligence required to navigate a highly complex, multi‑layered GTM initiative. The program spanned technical, strategic, and creative dimensions, many of which were being built and refined in real time during the first cohort. I operated comfortably in this ambiguity, translating vision into executable motions while continuously elevating balance, alignment, and momentum across organizations and teams.

To support execution at scale, I regularly created visual and narrative translations of strategy—layering graphic design, storytelling, and action‑driven structure into presentations used for weekly and bi‑weekly working sessions, enablement forums, and executive alignment. These assets served as operating tools, not just updates, enabling faster decision‑making and sustained progress across stakeholders.

I paired this execution rigor with strategy‑first documentation and creative writing designed to drive resonance across cross‑functional teams, applying the same principles used to enable customer‑facing GTM motions internally. When developing content strategies and creative assets, I intentionally produced multiple options and variations ahead of working sessions—giving teams something tangible to react to, refine, and build upon. This proactive approach accelerated momentum, sparked collaboration, and kept energy high throughout complex phases of the program.

Integral Consulting Leadership & Partnership

I took a partnership‑first approach across every engagement, operating as an embedded advisor and serving as a consistent Voice of the Partner across organizations. From the outset, the work was grounded in shared ownership—we were collectively accountable for outcomes. I actively gathered insights across teams, translated them into clear action items, and ensured disciplined follow‑through in an environment with many moving parts and accelerated timelines.

Building community, transparency, and trust was essential to sustaining momentum at this pace. That foundation enabled teams to work productively and decisively, even under pressure. Across organizations, I became known for ensuring work moved forward efficiently and with intention—reducing unnecessary friction while maintaining high standards.

I remained consistently available while also establishing healthy boundaries that protected focus, clarity, and delivery quality. Throughout the full three‑year lifecycle of the program, I stayed outcome‑driven—anchoring execution in a clear understanding of why the work mattered and applying dependency‑based logic to every initiative. By listening deeply across teams and organizations, I was able to build practical roadmaps and define next steps that aligned priorities, accelerated execution, and sustained long‑term impact.

Dive deep into the program semantics

Partner Selection based on the Characteristics of a Successful ISV

The model evaluated partners across four critical areas, with point assignments allocated and strategically determined and weighed across each.

1. Partner Relationship Strength Partners were evaluated based on the maturity and depth of their existing cloud partnership footprint, including marketplace presence, demonstrated revenue contribution, earned competencies, and established relationships with implementation partners. Historical performance was also considered, with emphasis on prior success generating qualified opportunities and closing joint deals—recognizing that consistent execution is a strong indicator of future performance.

2. Solution Differentiation & Maturity We assessed whether each partner’s solution was clearly differentiated, commercially viable, and ready to scale within a cloud‑based GTM motion. This included evaluating product maturity, technical readiness, and the partner’s ability to articulate how their solution addressed specific customer challenges. Priority was given to partners who demonstrated a clear understanding of their immediate GTM opportunity and how their offering fit into real‑world customer use cases.

3. GTM Readiness Partners were evaluated on foundational GTM readiness, including the presence of sales and marketing assets, customer proof points, allocated campaign budgets, and dedicated resources to support joint execution. Documented GTM plans and clear ownership for pipeline tracking were required to ensure partners had the operational infrastructure necessary to activate effectively—not just intent, but readiness to execute.

4. GTM Execution & Operational Alignment Execution capability was validated by examining partners’ ability to consistently run joint campaigns, manage leads through the full funnel, commit sales resources to follow‑up, and align compensation structures to support joint deals. Partners were also expected to demonstrate focus through defined target accounts and a track record of delivering on GTM commitments—distinguishing those who consistently execute from those who only aspire to.

GTM Alignment between AWS and ISVs across Campaign Activities

I worked across teams to drive the delivery and completion of GTM systematically through coordinated, multi-channel campaigns that mapped directly to the buyer's journey. Every campaign type, every channel, and every piece of content was intentionally designed to move prospects from awareness to decision while aligning with how AWS engages customers and how enterprise buyers actually make purchasing decisions. I expand on this further throughout this case study, read on for deeper insights into how this alignment manifested in partner's joint go-to-market campaign strategies for bringing new solutions to the market. Across the program, this approach supported more than 100 product and solution launches, demonstrating how disciplined GTM alignment can scale across diverse partner portfolios while maintaining execution quality and market relevance.

Use Case & "Better Together"-Driven Product Launch Strategy

I orchestrated 100+ product and solution launches across the 60+ partner portfolio over three years, with multiple go-to-market initiatives per partner based on budget allocation and readiness signals. Each launch was use case-targeted and industry-aligned, ensuring messaging resonated with specific buyer personas and their business outcomes, as well as positioned the alliance as a partner ecosystem that new and existing customers could trust. ISV partners collaborated with AWS Solution Architects to co-design joint solutions, hand selecting right fit AWS services and partner products aligned to customer needs evaluated through propensity scoring amongst other tactics.

From Broad Positioning to Outcome‑Driven Use Cases

A core activation motion involved structured workshops with ISVs, channel partners, and cloud teams to identify and refine one to two high‑value use cases per solution. Through discovery, we challenged narratives that were either too broad or overly technical and refined them into focused, outcome‑driven joint value propositions.

“We don’t modernize data—we help financial services teams detect fraud in real time by analyzing transactions as they happen.”

This shift moved partners away from abstract capability statements and toward concrete business outcomes tied to specific personas, industries, and buying triggers.

Operationalizing the “Better Together” Story

Once the use case was defined, we aligned the supporting cloud technologies that made each solution viable at scale—pairing partner expertise with the appropriate infrastructure, analytics, and operational services. Each party’s role was clearly articulated: the ISV delivered differentiated domain intelligence, cloud services provided scalable infrastructure, and marketplace‑based procurement streamlined adoption and transacting.

“The partner brings the intelligence. The cloud provides the scale. The marketplace removes friction.”

Power of Three (Po3) Activation: Tri‑Party Value Propositions

In more complex environments, we activated tri‑party GTM motions—bringing together a software provider, an implementation partner, and cloud services to solve regulated or high‑risk challenges. We referred to this model as a Power of Three (Po3) Activation.

For example, a cloud security software company and a consulting firm entered the program with generalized positioning such as “comprehensive cloud security.” Through joint workshops with product teams, consultants, and solution architects, we reframed the narrative around a specific customer problem:

“We help federal agencies meet strict compliance requirements while migrating to the cloud faster—without slowing development teams or increasing risk.”

The value exchange was clearly defined:

The software provider delivered continuous monitoring and automated detection.
The consulting partner brought certified expertise to implement compliance correctly.
Cloud infrastructure met regulated security standards.
Marketplace procurement enabled agencies to transact through a single channel.

The result was faster deployment timelines, reduced procurement friction, and differentiated messaging tailored to both regulated and commercial buyers.

Scaling Clarity Across the Buyer’s Journey

These use‑case‑led strategies became the foundation for differentiated “better together” narratives across partner‑led launches. The resulting messaging served as core assets for seller enablement, awareness and demand generation, lead nurturing, and decision‑stage engagement.

I served as the primary author and facilitator of these joint value propositions, embedding this work into an education‑driven enablement program that equipped partners to develop aligned, data‑rich narratives independently. This discipline became a critical focal point of the broader GTM program—driving clarity, internal alignment, and faster market resonance across partner organizations.

TARGETED PERSONAS ACROSS PARTNER PORTFOLIO

We aligned campaigns and messaging to personas in addition to use cases and based on solution type and vertical. We tracked persona trends across the 60+ partner portfolio to ensure messaging resonated with the actual decision-makers and influencers in each buying cycle. Here you can see the trends.

Co-marketing Campaigns and Enablement

With use cases refined, buyer personas clearly defined, and messaging aligned to the full buyer journey, I led the execution of co‑marketing and co‑sell campaigns at scale. Campaign strategy was intentionally structured to mirror how enterprise buyers evaluate, validate, and commit to solutions—ensuring partners were not producing isolated content, but building cohesive, repeatable pathways that supported awareness, demand generation, and sales engagement.

Every asset we created and every campaign we launched was mapped to a specific stage of the buyer journey, with clear conversion objectives and attribution models. This ensured performance could be measured end‑to‑end—from initial engagement through pipeline contribution—while giving partners and sellers shared visibility into what was driving momentum, where prospects were advancing, and how joint efforts translated into measurable GTM impact.

Rather than fragmented marketing activity, partners operated within a shared GTM execution framework that accelerated time‑to‑value, reduced friction across teams, and supported scalable co‑sell execution.

Awareness / Find Program Highlight - I was accountable for overseeing end‑to‑end content production, media performance tracking, and a centralized partner microsite that showcased partner solutions across four priority solution areas. The experience was designed as a conversion‑ready destination, with each asset incorporating clear calls‑to‑action that routed buyers to marketplace listings or partner‑hosted landing pages based on intent.

I led measurement and optimization across the full experience—tracking engagement, A/B testing content, visual design, and UX, and continuously refining performance. From defining targeting criteria and intent signals to managing media investment, layering in SEO, and activating partner‑aligned messaging and positioning, awareness efforts were executed using intent‑based targeting, account‑based marketing, and suppression strategies to avoid channel conflict.

At this stage, I trained teams on brand standards and maintained accountability for authorizing content strategy and overseeing strategy and production operations across partners. These efforts resulted in more than 35,000 banner ad clicks, a 40% reduction in cost per lead, and 290+ infographic downloads across two dozen partners—demonstrating how disciplined messaging, targeted media, and conversion‑ready destinations consistently outperform volume‑driven spend.

Creative Services and Full-Funnel Content Strategy

During both cohorts, I developed, delivered, oversaw and trained AWS, ISV, and agency teams on foundational program materials, campaign assets, content strategy and brand best practices. Creative services and content strategy included gamified strategies, and creating assets across the full marketing and sales funnel. My efforts included creating internal PR content, amplifying this program and garnering engagement within internal AWS channels, creating wiki content, newsletters, presentation decks, and promotional video content.

During the second cohort of this program in addition to what was done for the pilot, I led creation of 150+ co-marketing assets across 24 AWS Emerging Technology partners in 90 days including joint messaging and value proposition frameworks, campaign landing pages, social media posts, press release content, infographics, eBooks, whitepapers, seller outreach emails, and solution briefs across multiple technology verticals including security, business applications, data analytics, data products, and infrastructure software. I guided cross-organizational teams on full-funnel strategies from awareness through decision.

Multi-Channel Campaign Execution Across 20+ Campaign Types

Event and Campaign Trends By solution and Industry

Campaign effectiveness varied significantly by solution area and vertical. We deployed and tracked common event types, primary campaign channels, and engagement highlights across the portfolio to optimize budget allocation and maximize conversion rates. See the trends below per solution area and vertical.

Security & Compliance

Webinars, in-person workshops, executive roundtables, and immersion days drove highest engagement through email nurture, content syndication, social media, and conferences. High attendance in compliance workshops translated to strong nurture engagement. Buyers needed proof of regulatory compliance before moving forward

Business Applications, AdTech, and Customer Experience (CX)

LinkedIn Live, virtual webinars, in-person roadshows, and executive roundtables resonated through display ads, social media, content syndication, and email nurture. High engagement in digital commerce webinars translated to strong nurture campaigns. Business buyers responded to outcome-focused content.

Data & Analytics, Data Products

Technical webinars, virtual summits, immersion days, and in-person workshops performed best through content syndication, ABM programs, digital display, and marketplace listings. Strong engagement in technical workshops led to high asset downloads. Technical buyers wanted to see the solution in action

Infrastructure Software & Optimization

Technical workshops, virtual webinars, in-person summits, and account mapping drove results through content syndication, ABM programs, email nurture, and marketplace presence. High ABM engagement and technical workshop attendance characterized this vertical. Enterprise buyers required deep technical validation

Healthcare/Vertical Solutions

Virtual roundtables, technical webinars, in-person workshops, and conference activations performed through content syndication, ABM programs, email nurture, and social media. High engagement in healthcare webinars led to strong ABM results. Regulated buyers needed vertical expertise and compliance proof.

Thought Leadership as THE Play

Thought leadership content became the best form of marketing and authority building, leading our content strategy. That's why we built messaging and positioning, content, and roundtables with a foundational joint value proposition in place to help ISVs, channel partners, and cloud partners message their co-brand story and joint solution, demonstrating how they're better together for the customer. This approach resonated deeply with customers because it centered on solving their problems, not just listing features that they had to figure out where the value lied to their specific challenges.

AWS co-marketing resources & MDF strategy

Beyond asset creation, I guided partners through the broader cloud co‑marketing ecosystem and helped them strategically maximize available Marketing Development Funds (MDF). By aligning campaign design, execution, and reporting to MDF‑eligible motions, partners were able to reduce cost‑per‑lead by up to 40% through more intentional resource allocation and disciplined spend.

Partners leveraged a range of co‑marketing resources available through the cloud partner ecosystem, including self‑service campaign tools like AWS Partner Marketing Central, preferred agency support, virtual partner marketing guidance, structured marketing education, and MDF‑eligible partner‑led events. My role was to help partners understand how these resources fit together, how to activate them effectively, and how to structure campaigns that qualified for reimbursement while driving real pipeline impact.

I worked closely with partners to demystify MDF usage—guiding them through campaign planning, eligibility requirements, and execution best practices, and helping them stay current as programs and platforms evolved. I translated complex program mechanics into clear, actionable guidance and directed partners to the most relevant foundational documentation and enablement resources.

Many partners entered the program overspending on low‑performing campaigns without realizing the breadth of no‑cost or subsidized resources available to them. By introducing structured approaches to MDF planning and execution, we reduced waste, increased output, and improved overall campaign efficiency.

In parallel, I provided strategic input to cloud stakeholders on where to focus custom MDF investment and direct support—based on observed partner maturity, readiness, and demonstrated commitment to joint execution—ensuring resources were allocated where they would drive the greatest GTM impact.

ISV Co-sell Enablement and Activation within the AWS Marketplace

I led education and enablement efforts for agency teams and ISV partners across a broad set of AWS partner programs such as ACE and AWS MPPO that support co‑sell execution, marketplace commercialization, and revenue acceleration. This included guiding partners through private offer motions, co‑sell and deal engagement frameworks, migration and acceleration programs, revenue recognition models, and partner marketing platforms—ensuring teams understood not just what programs existed, but how to operationalize them effectively within real GTM motions.

A core focus of this work was helping partners translate program participation into tangible credibility and momentum. I supported partners in earning and activating relevant competencies and aligning them to their joint value propositions—reinforcing the “better together” narrative with proof points that resonated with sellers and customers alike.

By demystifying co‑sell mechanics, marketplace transacting options, and partner engagement pathways, I enabled partners to move from passive participation to active execution—making it easier for sellers to engage, prioritize opportunities, and co‑own deals through to close. This approach ensured marketplace and co‑sell programs functioned as integrated GTM levers rather than disconnected initiatives, accelerating partner readiness and joint revenue outcomes.

Business Development & Procurement through the AWS Marketplace

Flexible Product & Delivery Models

AWS supported a range of fulfillment formats—from SaaS and AMI to BYOL and hybrid services—so sellers could meet buyers where they build and operate.

Buyer-Aligned Pricing & Terms

Partners structured hourly, monthly, and multi-year contracts with custom terms, Private Offers, and CPPO—aligning commercial models to buyer procurement realities.

Scalable Transaction Enablement

AWS handled invoicing, reporting, and disbursement, enabling faster deal execution and co-sell motions across direct, partner, and alliance engagements.

LEAD MANAGEMENT & DEAL REGISTRATION FRAMEWORK

Lead Management Planning & Funnel Alignment

I helped operationalized and trained ISV marketing and sales teams on lead management frameworks that aligned partner funnel stages directly to AWS‑defined engagement stages—ensuring clean handoffs, accurate reporting, and shared accountability across marketing, sales development, account executives, and partner sellers. This alignment eliminated ambiguity around lead status and created a common operating language across organizations.

Partners were enabled to map their internal funnel—from first engagement through closed‑won—against AWS engagement milestones, allowing teams to understand exactly when and how opportunities transitioned from marketing interest to active co‑sell motion. Clear handoff protocols were established and reinforced, preventing leads from stalling or falling through the cracks as ownership shifted between teams.

This structure enabled disciplined progression from early engagement through qualification, validation, and close—while maintaining visibility into funnel health at every stage. By aligning systems, definitions, and expectations, we created a scalable operating model that supported faster validation, stronger seller confidence, and materially higher sales‑validated pipeline across participating partners.

Forward‑ and Backward‑Looking Financial Modeling for GTM ROI

In addition to creative strategy, we supported partners with full-funnel forecasting and financial risk modeling. At agency, we built the tools and templates that enabled them to systematically track their funnels, calculate campaign ROI, and forecast GTM-driven revenue to so they could see exactly what their marketing investment would generate. This gave partner executives the data they needed to confidently defend marketing investments and secure continued funding. We helped teams understand that boards value data over passion, and equipped them with the financial clarity that made marketing funding decisions straightforward.

A real campaign example from the program with a security- and compliance-focused SaaS ISV/MSP

Investment: $137.5K in MDF and program costs
Influenced: $4.6M in sales-qualified pipeline
Won Revenue: $808K closed deals
ROI: 6.12X return on marketing investment

We built these same measurement frameworks for every partner, showing them how to calculate cost-per-lead, cost-per-opportunity, pipeline velocity, and revenue attribution across every campaign type.

Deal Registration and Co‑Sell Execution

As part of structuring a scalable lead management and co‑sell operating system, I partnered closely with cloud stakeholders to deliver enablement on disciplined deal registration and clean co‑sell mechanics. The objective was to make it easy for sellers to prioritize the right opportunities, validate quickly, and confidently co‑own the path to close—without confusion, rework, or channel conflict.

Submission Readiness & Validation Discipline

Opportunities were pre‑qualified and fully documented prior to submission, ensuring first‑pass validation and keeping deals active while sales cycles were in motion. Teams were trained on a structured guiding‑questions framework validated by sales and partner leadership—capturing customer pain points, solution scope, incremental cloud consumption, and campaign attribution hygiene. This eliminated rejection cycles, reduced validation timelines from weeks to days, and built trust through consistent submission quality.

Deal Ownership & Rules of Engagement

Clear rules of engagement defined ownership across ISVs, cloud sellers, and SI/MSP participants—accelerating collaboration rather than triggering internal resistance. These guardrails ensured accountability while preserving flexibility across complex, multi‑party motions.

Partner‑Friendly Deal Structuring

Multi‑party participation models were intentionally designed to support resale and fulfillment paths where applicable—allowing partners to engage without friction and giving field teams clear incentive to lean in and co‑sell.

CRM Alignment & Pipeline Visibility

Partner CRM stages were mapped to cloud deal engagement stages, enabling automated reporting and shared dashboards that provided real‑time visibility into funnel health. Marketing, sales, and partner teams operated from a single source of truth—tracking progress, identifying bottlenecks, and coordinating next steps with precision.

Clean registrations and clear ownership drove faster validation and sales cycles, stronger seller motivation, improved procurement efficiency, and materially higher sales‑validated pipeline across participating partners—proving that operational rigor is a growth lever, not overhead.

Gamified Co-sell Enablement

To accelerate co-sell engagement and partner-originated pipeline, we designed and executed an accelerated partner-led outreach contest across select emerging technology ISVs. I coordinated and delivered joint value proposition development, target market discovery, paid social campaigns, and nurture campaigns and enablement., We heavily leveraged intent data for precision targeting and CRM hygiene coaching to enable acheivement of the most aligned and highest quality in leads and connection with ideal customers and co-sell engagments with ACE team leaders. Sellers received outreach kits that they leveraged while we executed multi-channel marketing campaigns.

Partners participated in cross-border fireside chats, and peer & AWS ACE and Sales leadership team Q&A sessions that fostered global engagement and built confidence w9tu outbound and inbound co-sell execution. Opportunities were submitted and validated through AWS ACE, with contest operations, tracking, and prize coordination managed end-to-end.

The results across an initial batch of 13 partners in 8 weeks:

886 partner-sourced leads (PSQLs)
$28M+ in AWS ACE-validated pipeline
29 new logos across 13 ISVs
Recognized as an award-winning co-sell program

Prizes were awarded across three categories: highest pipeline in USD, most validated opportunities, and most net new customer wins. This phase of the larger program demonstrated how structured enablement, strategic incentives, and disciplined execution can activate partner ecosystems at scale. I orchestrated and coordinated this incentivized, gamified prospecting contests. Efforts included positioning past participants and gamified prospecting program winners as model AWS Rising Star Partners, leading to deeper engagement and well-informed GTM execution for new partners coming into the program. Some ISVs who participated in the program ended up partnering with each other during the course of the program!

INDUSTRIES

All of this work around use cases, personas, campaigns, enablement, and co-sell mechanics was tailored to specific industries where partners operated and compliance mattered. Partnering with ISVs, agency, and vendors, I ensured compliance across industry messaging and market positioning, and that ISVs and channel partners were prepped and ready to serve industry verticals, including those being newly pursued.

GTM Outcomes - From Activation to Acceleration - The Impact across over 55 ISVs

Across this multi‑year, multi‑partner program, I led the strategic design, execution, and optimization of GTM systems that scaled across 60+ ISVs and delivered measurable impact at every stage of the buyer journey. These outcomes were not incidental—they were the result of disciplined enablement, structured campaign architecture, and repeatable co‑sell mechanics that I helped build, operationalize, and refine in collaboration with AWS stakeholders and partner teams.

I would say that we helped our clients exceeded their goals and their expectations of us, but they expected nothing less of us.

Conversion & Performance Highlights

GTM Acceleration

60%+ reduction in partner onboarding and time-to-market timelines, compressed from 18 months down to 6 months.
7.7 million impressions generated across a centralized partner solutions microsite
1,200+ marketplace clicks across 24 ISV solutions driven from intent‑aligned awareness and demand campaigns
35,000+ banner ad clicks across multiple ISV solution categories
40% reduction in cost per lead reported
50%+ MQL - SQO conversion rates and significant improvement in lead quality reported across participating partners
290+ infographic downloads across 24 partners in 90 days
Agency-led partner marketing program investment scaled from $30K to $2M, delivering 95% - 800%+ year‑over‑year growth and consistent quarter‑over‑quarter expansion
$28M+ in AWS‑validated pipeline from a single co‑sell contest
20–35% operational time savings, realized through standardized execution systems and cross‑functional alignment

GTM Activation

Partners progressed from no coverage to PMM‑supported motions
Multi‑nine‑figure, sales‑validated pipeline generated in year one across first cohort and year 1 across second cohort
92% MDF utilization across participating partners, reflecting high execution readiness and efficient use of co‑marketing investment
6.6× ROI on a $137.5K campaign investment for a security/compliance ISV
13×+ GTM‑driven ROI across partners
30–45‑day reduction in sales cycles reported
43% decrease in procurement cycles reported, driven by marketplace‑based transacting and simplified deal structures
15× increase in partner engagement sustained over a three‑year program lifecycle
29 new logos across 13 ISVs partners in 6 months
2 partners won Rising Star Awards at AWS re:Invent
Client recognized with a co‑sell contest award, earned through repeatable, high‑quality joint execution

Why AWS trusted us with this program

AWS brought this program directly to us, we didn't pitch for this work. AWS had been pouring resources and investment rapidly into this program with the consultancy and agency steadily, after an initial $30k investment towards the pilot of this program with a select partner-base. A year later, AWS brought us a $2M deal to execute a 1:many version of this program based on years of proven, over-satisfactory work that built our reputation as trusted advisors. We'd been crafting program content materials and strategies for AWS programs like AWS Marketplace Private Offers Program (MPPO), creating 30+ business operations enablement videos (see them on their native landing page or on YouTube!), and building enablement content—checklists, frequently asked questions (FAQs), quick reference cards (QRCs), quick reference guides (QRGs), and internal materials that AWS Sales Leaders and Marketing Leaders would use to enable partners. That reputation was already built.

We were growing with this client within AWS year-over-year 500% because of my natural ability to discern, translate, and educate—building community, creating clarity, and consistently meeting or exceeding business goals. My lead client had just brought us $150K and $300K in a single quarter, and after a 4-hour strategic planning and ideating workshop, they then brought us this $2M for the 1:many program. After proving the pilot's success with 31 startup and SMB ISVs, the program got officialized and scaled with a cohort of 24 ISV partners.

The agency organization that I worked for, sold and executed this program as a foundational GTM engagement at varying scales throughout their client portfolio.

If you have questions about how I can help you achieve your GTM-critical objectives and desired outcomes for 2026, feel free to reach out.

shaun@exsailiq360.com

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