The Partnerships GTM Playbook for Revenue Leaders
Natalie Riso
Head of Startups and Partnerships @ Rho
Partnerships can supercharge a GTM strategy. Most leaders can't prove it yet.
GTM leaders at early- and growth-stage companies are caught in a frustrating position. You know your ecosystem is driving deals, but you can't make leadership see it clearly enough to fund it properly. The metrics you've been using have lost credibility with CFOs and CROs who've been burned by vague attribution claims before.
Meanwhile, there's no playbook for growing partnerships as a revenue driver. You've been figuring it out through trial and error, high-level articles online, and one painful budget conversation at a time.
I built this course to close that gap. You'll get a prioritization framework that identifies which partners actually drive revenue, activation plays that generate consistent deal flow, and an attribution methodology that holds up to CFO scrutiny. Every framework came from building real programs at real companies.
The partnership leaders who figure this out are building the GTM motion that wins in markets where buyers trust their ecosystem more than they trust your sales team. In today's world, your GTM has to be just as differentiated as your product. This will give you the tools to build it.
What you’ll learn
The frameworks, plays, and attribution methodology to run partnerships as a revenue channel... and get leadership to fund it.
Score and tier your full partner universe using the Ecosystem Influence Matrix so you know exactly where to focus first.
Use Harmonic and Clay to build an enriched, prioritized partner list in hours.
Have the deprioritization conversation internally when a brand-name partner isn't worth your time.sdf
Identify the specific GTM overlap that makes a partner want to work with you.
Learn what makes a Tier 1 partner prioritize you over everyone else competing for their attention.
Walk away with a one-page Partnership Wedge Brief: the overlap, the ask, and what success looks like for both sides.
Choose from five ecosystem plays (events, referrals, rev share, digital communities, product integrations) and pick the right ones for you.
Write a sprint proposal that gets CRO buy-in before you've committed to a multi-quarter program.
Build a runbook that your team can execute without you in every conversation.
Apply a four-tier attribution model across common tools like Salesforce, Crossbeam, and Airtable.
Frame your measurement story so a skeptical CFO can evaluate it, not dismiss it.
Build credibility over time with a quarterly ecosystem review structure that compounds.
Learn directly from Natalie
Natalie Riso
Built ecosystems at Rho, Mercury, & LTSE that became primary revenue channels.
Who this course is for
The Head of Partnerships at a Series A-C company who wants to expand use partnerships as a GTM wedge.
The Director of Partnerships who just got headcount and now needs to build out the channel strategy.
A Head of GTM who wants to drive new ecosystem-led experiments.
What's included
Live sessions
Learn directly from Natalie Riso in a real-time, interactive format.
Templates and Partnership Frameworks
Get actionable partnerships frameworks and templates for both internal and external documents.
Lifetime access
Go back to course content and recordings whenever you need to.
Community of peers
Stay accountable and share insights with like-minded professionals.
Certificate of completion
Share your new skills with your employer or on LinkedIn.
Discounts on top software
Curated list of tools and templates with unique discounts to get you started.
Maven Guarantee
This course is backed by the Maven Guarantee. Students are eligible for a full refund up until the halfway point of the course.
Course syllabus
10 live sessions • 26 lessons • 4 projects
Week 1
Mar
26
Reviewing Your Partner Lists
Thu 3/2610:00 PM—11:00 PM (UTC)Mar
27
Guest Speaker: Building a Data-Driven Partner Framework
Fri 3/274:00 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)Mar
28
Optional: Open Office Hours
Sat 3/288:00 PM—9:00 PM (UTC)Optional
Mar
23
Welcome Session: Who’s In The Room and Why This Matters
Who’s the “Best” Partner for You
Building Your Potential Partner List
Getting Leadership to Buy In on Your Initial Strategy
Week 2
Apr
2
Workshopping Your Partnership Wedge and Choosing Your First Play
Thu 4/210:00 PM—11:00 PM (UTC)Apr
3
Guest Speaker: Scaling up your "wedge"
Fri 4/34:00 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)Apr
4
Optional: Office Hours
Sat 4/44:00 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)Optional
Designing Asks That Partners Say Yes To
Tactical Frameworks for Ecosystem Plays
Multi-Touch Relationships and Getting Your Full Team Aligned
Schedule
Live sessions
3 hrs / week
Each week will include a group workshop, a guest speaker, and live office hours to review that week's content.
Mon, Mar 23
4:00 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)
Thu, Mar 26
10:00 PM—11:00 PM (UTC)
Fri, Mar 27
4:00 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)
Projects
2-5 hrs / week
Projects are focused on building out a partnerships strategy and plan for execution for your current role(s).
Async content
2-5 hrs / week
Testimonials
Natalie is as legit as it gets. She’s personable, highly intelligent, incredibly well connected and dynamically gifted. I’ve had the chance to team up with her on multiple events, marketing campaigns, personal branding panels and focus groups, and she’s also played a core role in pushing forward the end goal.
Joel Hansen
Head of Marketing, LOI VentureNatalie is my go-to call when I'm stuck on a partnerships problem. She thinks in systems, has zero tolerance for BS, and always leaves me with a clear next step. I've gotten more out of single conversations with her than from most courses I've taken. If Natalie is involved in a partnership, you know it's one that's mutually beneficial. She cares deeply about creating more value than she takes. I also admire her ability to identify and create high-ROI partnerships with deeply aligned partners. The ecosystem is lucky to have her!
Livia Han
Growth, Tofu
Frequently asked questions
$1,000
USD