READ ON PHILHSC.COM | READ TIME: 5 MINUTES | 1 OCTOBER, 2025

NEW MASTERCLASS SERIES

I'm excited to invite you to my all new Partnership Playbook Master Classes, a free weekly webinar series built for founders, GTM leaders, and CEOs who are serious about scaling smarter.

Starting next week, I’ll be live each Wednesday pulling back the curtain on frameworks, tactics, and real-world partnership strategies you can put into play immediately (yes, cheatsheets included).

See the line-up and save your seat here: philhsc.com/masterclasses​

And without further ado, welcome to Partnership Wednesday #114 — featuring ideas you can use to build partnerships faster, with less guesswork, and confidently close 6-figure deals.

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A LESSON TO BUILD ON

If a potential partner offers you their “standard partnership agreement” in the first or second meeting, treat it as a red flag.

Partnerships built on trust, alignment, and clarity cannot be templated so quickly. A premature contract push often signals either a transactional mindset, a one-sided agenda, or a lack of curiosity about your real objectives. True partners co-create terms based on shared intent, not boilerplate paperwork.

Leadership Lesson: Resist the temptation to rush into agreements. Instead, slow the process down. Ask better questions. Clarify intent. Ensure there’s dual benefit. The leaders who create durable partnerships know: a contract is the final chapter of discovery, not the opening line.

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AN ANSWER TO HELP YOU MOVE FASTER

We’re thinking about entering a new market and I’m worried there’s too much guesswork going into the decision. How can I create more certainty around the decision? I was asked this question from the crowd this week. Here’s my answer (I wish I had 15 years ago):

The unpopular reality about entering a new market is that it’s more science than it is art. And the equation is simpler than you think.
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Let’s start with the incumbents.

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When a new player shows up, incumbents move fast:
→ Drop prices until rivals run out of cash
→ Lock up distributors and suppliers
→ Flood the market with brand spend
→ Sign long contracts with penalties
→ Lobby regulators to raise barriers
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That’s 5 of 10 ways big companies protect their turf.
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For new entrants, fighting head-to-head rarely works.
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The smarter play is partnership.
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Instead of burning years and millions, you can borrow scale, credibility, and access.
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Here are 5 proven ways to do it:
​Co-distribution​
⤷ Partner with a non-competitor who already sells to your target customers
⤷ You get reach without building your own network.
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​Joint innovation​
⤷ Collaborate with an incumbent to launch a new product
⤷ You share costs and inherit their credibility
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​White-label supply​
⤷ Sell your product under an incumbent’s brand
⤷ You scale quietly, while learning how the market really works
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​Adjacent alliances​
⤷ Enter through a related industry
⤷ Bypass the strongest defences
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​Anchor partnership​
⤷ Land one marquee partner
⤷ Their endorsement signals trust and opens doors
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These might sounding interesting but how do you know if you stand a real chance?
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Use the Entry Equation.
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​Success Score = (Distribution × Incentive × Differentiation) ÷ (Switching + Regulatory + Capital)
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​Score each factor 1–5 (5=Excellent):
• Distribution Access (Reach via partners)
• Incumbent Incentive (Clear win:win)
• Differentiation (Defensible edge)
• Switching Costs (Customer pain to switch)
• Regulatory Barriers (Compliance burden)
• Capital Intensity (Investment needed)
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​Interpretation:​
0–5 = Low viability
6–10 = Conditional entry
11–15 = Strong entry
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Here’s an example.
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An EV battery startup partners with a Tier-1 auto supplier.
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Here's the assessment:
• Distribution Access= 4
• Incumbent Incentive = 5
• Differentiation = 5
• Switching Costs = 3
• Regulatory Barriers = 4
• Capital Intensity = 3
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​Score = (4×5×5) ÷ (3+4+3) = 10
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​Interpretation: Conditional entry
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The path forward: reduce regulatory drag or switching pain
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This is how experienced CEOs think about market entry.
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Not just, “Can we compete?”
But, “Who can we partner with to get through the defences?”
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​Remember: Go-to-market partnerships aren’t a growth lever for new entrants. They’re the only way in.

Here's an cheatsheet that might help you navigate this topic further: Market Entry Equation by Phil Hayes-St Clair.pdf​

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THIS WEEK'S MOMENT (Insight for your commute)

Are your partnerships built on belief or proof?

In this 10 minute episode, discover how infrastructure partnerships are:

1. Anchor every deal in two measurable benefits, not just one
2. Use the four calculations - Revenue, Access, Cost Savings, Risk Reduction - to audit every partnership
3. Prioritise consumption over appearances because logos don't pay bills, usage does

Get every episode of the Partnership Playbook on your next commute or workout. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Youtube!

KNOW PEOPLE WHO FEEL STUCK?

Share this issue via text, social media, or email by copying and pasting this link:

​https://philhsc.com/partnership/1-october-2025​

See you next Wednesday,

Phil Hayes-St Clair, Business Partnerships Expert & Coach

​Find me on LinkedIn or Book a 1:1 Call​

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