Model 1: Foundation Model
Establish the foundational principles, common language, and readiness assessment for your partnership program. Learn to become a Partnership Architect, not just a Playbook Practitioner.
This guide is Model 1 of the 5-model Partnership Architecture Framework. It establishes the foundational principles and readiness assessment before engaging partners.
The Foundation Model is the essential starting point that establishes a common language and evaluates your strategic fit for partnerships. Before any partnership is formed, this model ensures you understand your own readiness and the business ecosystem you operate in.
Most partnership programs fail not because of poor execution, but because they lack a solid foundation. Organizations jump straight into recruiting partners, creating tiered programs, and allocating MDF budgets without first establishing the fundamental principles that will guide their approach.
This model prevents that mistake.
Foundation Model Elements
Relationships & Principles
Understanding partnership fundamentals and first principles thinking
Learn the fundamental nature of partnerships (collaborative vs transactional), the 10 first principles that govern all partnerships, and how to approach partnerships like an architect rather than a practitioner copying playbooks.
Partner Classification
Stop the confusion with a structured taxonomy
A structured classification ensures that when discussing a "partner," everyone from product to sales understands the partner's specific role and contribution. A structured taxonomy separates Categories (strategic function) from Types (operational execution).
Common Language
Everyone must speak the same partnership language
A successful partnership strategy requires the entire organization to speak the same language. This framework establishes a single source of truth for all partnership-related terminology through two core components.
Partnership Readiness
Don't rush - assess if you're truly ready first
Most partnership failures happen because companies jump in before they're ready. A comprehensive 4-layer readiness assessment prevents wasted resources and "paper partnerships."
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