Join hosts Asher Mathew and Kelly Sarabyn as they engage with Alan Chhabra, a seasoned executive with a rich history at MongoDB, now leading partnerships at Cerebras. This episode unpacks Alan's journey from engineering to executive roles, offering insights into building robust partner organizations and strategies for collaborating with hyperscalers. Chapters - - 01:24 - Alan's Background and Journey into Partnerships - 05:54 - Building a Successful Partner Organization at MongoDB - 10:09 - Challenges and Wins in Partnership Development - 24:38 - Strategies for Working with Hyperscalers - 31:32 - Building the Right Team and Infrastructure for Partnerships - 41:23 - The Importance of Enablement and Partner Marketing - 47:37 - Alan's Reflections on His Time at MongoDB - 52:34 - Alan's Transition to Cerebras and the AI Chip Market - 56:49 - Advice for CEOs on Structuring Partner and Sales Organizations Key Takeaways 1. Building Partnerships: Alan emphasizes aligning with the CEO, CRO, and CFO on a North Star goal to enhance sales productivity through partnerships. 2. Hyperscaler Strategies: Transforming relationships with cloud giants involves multi-cloud capabilities, leveraging marketplaces, and executive alignment. 3. Transition to Cerebras: Alan's move to Cerebras highlights the competitive AI chip market and the importance of scaling partnerships with hyperscalers and OEMs. 4. CEO Advice: Splitting the CRO role into separate heads for sales and partnerships is crucial in today's tech landscape. Key Quotes - "Being an immigrant in America, it's not always easy if you're first generation. So there is some challenges." - Alan Chhabra - "Losses can be turned into wins, but you got to be strategic about it, and you need a partner org to go do it." - Alan Chhabra - "How do you see the role of partnerships evolving in the next five years?" - Asher Mathew - "What are the key elements that make a partnership truly successful?" - Kelly Sarabyn

In this Unlearn episode, Asher Mathew and Kelly Sarabyn sit down with Jason Graefe, a seasoned Microsoft executive. With over two decades at Microsoft, Jason shares his journey from a field seller to leading Microsoft's engagement with software development companies. This episode explores leadership lessons, the transformative impact of generative AI, and Microsoft's strategic approach to partnering with software companies. Chapters: - 01:02 - Jason Graefe's Career Journey at Microsoft - 04:36 - Leadership Lessons - 22:10 - Microsoft's Engagement with Software Companies - 25:19 - The Impact of Generative AI on Software Development - 44:50 - Working with Satya Nadella - 48:09 - Improving Microsoft's Partner Engagement Key Takeaways: 1. Leadership Philosophy: Drawing from Jack Nicklaus, Jason emphasizes focusing on solutions rather than problems, a mindset crucial for effective leadership. 2. AI's Role in Development: Generative AI is rapidly changing the software landscape, and companies must strategically integrate it to enhance their core strengths. 3. Strategic Partnerships: Clear communication and tailored approaches are vital for successful partnerships, as emphasized by Jason's experiences at Microsoft. 4. Satya Nadella's Leadership: Jason admires Nadella's ability to balance high-level strategy with technical detail, a skill that defines effective leadership. Key Quotes: - "Our job is to really help software development companies build their businesses and build them on our platform." - Jason Graefe - "It's fascinating to see how leadership philosophies can transform not just a team, but an entire organization." - Asher Mathew - "Understanding the nuances of partnership engagement is crucial for long-term success." - Kelly Sarabyn

In this episode of the Unlearn podcast, Asher Mathew and Kelly Sarabyn chat with Anwar Haneef, Head of Ecosystem at Canva, about the company's innovative approach to empowering developers. Anwar explores Canva's ecosystem, showcasing tools like the Apps SDK and Connect API, which enable seamless integrations across platforms. He shares insights on Canva’s expansive reach, partnerships with industry giants like Meta and Salesforce, and how the $50 million Developer Innovation Fund supports sustainable ecosystem growth. Tune in for a look at how Canva is shaping the future of design, collaboration, and developer success.

Chapters -

00:00 - Introduction

03:19 - Canva's Developer Ecosystem and Infrastructure

06:39 - Examples of Canva's Developer Integrations

12:56 - Diversity of Canva's Ecosystem and User Community

19:48 - Monetization Strategy for Canva's Developer Ecosystem

31:25 - Canva's Innovation Fund and Long-Term Sustainability

33:00 - Go-to-Market Strategies with Partners

39:14 - Team Structure and Organizational Design

54:12 - Final Thoughts and Future Plans

Final Thoughts and Future Plans

Anwar shared that Canva is focused on enhancing functionality and support for developers, including introducing new integrations and tools. He also mentioned a selective approach to onboarding new partners for the premium app program, prioritizing quality and user value.

Key Takeaways -

1. Developing a sustainable monetization model for a developer ecosystem is crucial, beyond just relying on fixed funding sources. Encouraging a freemium approach and revenue sharing can create a self-sustaining economy.

2. Aligning deeper go-to-market relationships between partnerships, product, and sales teams can be challenging, but is important to provide a cohesive experience for customers and partners.

3. Organizing teams around "super groups" or pods that have cross-functional autonomy can foster faster innovation and better integration between different disciplines like product, engineering, and partnerships.

4. Empowering teams to focus on "doing the work" rather than rigid hierarchies and titles can promote a more collaborative and nimble culture

5. Designing the business model and user experience upfront, before extensive development, can lead to better outcomes than a "build first, design later" approach.

Key Quotes -

"Before we start anything, we usually spend a lot of time designing it first. This creates a much better experience because it ensures everything is well-articulated and users are properly guided. When you focus on design upfront, you can build faster, as many of the issues that arise from building first and designing later are avoided." - Asher Mathew

"We want Canva to be wherever there is an intention for design. Whether it's creating a QBR, designing a t-shirt, or planning team swag, we aim to be available anytime, anywhere, for any user with design needs." - Anwar Haneef
"Many platforms say, 'We've made ourselves extensible—come build on us,' but Canva has gone beyond that. Not only has it made itself extensible, but it has also made it incredibly easy to embed Canva into other products. This allows users to access Canva seamlessly within those products, maintaining a consistent experience." - Kelly Sarabyn

On this episode of the Unlearn podcast, hosts Asher Mathew and Kelly Sarabyn connect with Eron Sunando, Asana's Head of Channels & Alliances. Fresh from Asana's Partner Summit, Eron brings a unique perspective on how partnerships can simplify the increasingly complex world of business technology.

Drawing from his globe-trotting career that spans from UBS to Salesforce, Eron unpacks the challenges facing today's businesses – from overwhelmed SMB owners to sales teams juggling multiple tools. He shares an insider's look at Asana's fresh approach to partnerships, including their new partner program and the game-changing AI Studio. Join us for a practical conversation about reducing tech complexity, building meaningful partnerships, and finding the sweet spot between AI automation and the human touch in partner management.

Chapters -

00:00 - Introduction and Eron’s career journey

04:20 - Complexity of modern tech stacks

10:00 - Reducing Complexities for SMBs

16:00 - Asana's Partner Summit and Program Relaunch

22:00 - Partnerships with MasterCard and Other Ecosystem Players

28:00 - Balancing Competency-Based and Outcome-Based Partner Programs

34:00 - Asana's Use of AI and the Launch of AI Studio

40:00 - Managing Partner Relationships with Asana's Internal Tools

45:00 - AI and Partner Management

50:00 - Asana's AI Studio and the Shift Towards Customizable AI Workflows

52:00 - Evolving Partner Program Structure

Key Takeaways -

1. Complexity of Modern Tech Stacks: Customers, especially SMBs, are overwhelmed by the growing number of applications and tools they need to manage, highlighting the need for partners to simplify and integrate these solutions.

2. Asana's Flexible Partner Program: Asana is launching a new partner program with distinct paths for different partner types (solution, services, tech, referral), allowing for a more tailored approach to partner engagement.

3. Leveraging AI for Partner Management: While AI can automate certain partner management tasks, the human touch remains crucial for building strategic relationships and providing customized support. Asana's AI Studio offers a flexible, customizable platform for partners to create AI-driven workflows.

4. Centralized Partner Relationship Management: Asana uses its own collaborative work management platform to facilitate communication, task tracking, and coordination with its partner ecosystem, providing a unified system for managing partner activities.

5. Balancing Competency-Based and Outcome-Based Models: Asana opted for a competency-based partner program structure, citing the complexity of implementing an outcome-based model that would require sophisticated backend systems and processes.

Key Quotes -

"I was excited to talk with you because, traditionally, a partnership leader’s worst nightmare is working with a CRO. Few people have experienced both roles firsthand, but you’ve done exactly that." - Asher Mathew

"What's top of mind for me is that, as you know, AI is everywhere. But what I often hear from our customers is that their tech stack has become very complex." - Eron Sunando

On this episode of the Unlearn podcast, hosts Asher Mathew and Kelly Sarabyn welcome Rich Gardner, a partnership maven with a knack for turning industry insights into actionable strategies. Fresh from events like Catalyst and Dreamforce, Rich shares his take on peer-to-peer learning and aligning partnerships with the big picture.

Drawing from his time at Klaviyo, Rich dives into the nitty-gritty of being a true partnership operator. Join us for a candid conversation about where partnerships are headed and how to keep everyone – from your team to your partners – rowing in the same direction. It's a down-to-earth look at the future of business collaboration, sprinkled with Rich's real-world wisdom.

Chapters -

00:00 - Introduction

03:14 - Reflections on Catalyst and Peer-to-Peer Learning

09:47 - CEO Involvement and Partnership Strategy

14:02 - Challenges in Measuring Partnership Impact

20:23 - Operator Mindset

29:01 - The Future of Partnerships and Marketplaces

39:38 - Challenges in Collaboration with Product Teams

47:41 - The Evolution of Partnerships and Future Opportunities

50:55 - Closing Remarks

Key Takeaways -

• Partnerships leaders need to better communicate the value of partnerships to CEOs by understanding the CEO's priorities and speaking their language in terms of business metrics and growth.

• Measuring and attributing partnership impact is a complex challenge that requires rigor and instrumentation, which partnership leaders need to focus on.

• Product teams can be resistant to co-building or allowing third-party integrations, so partnership leaders need to frame partnerships as a way to help product teams achieve their goals faster.

• Partnership leaders need to adopt an operator mindset, understanding the entire business and being able to translate partnerships' value across different functions.

• The rise of platforms, marketplaces, and the democratization of integration/development due to AI presents both challenges and opportunities for partnership leaders to navigate.

Key Quotes -

“Now is the perfect time to claim a seat at the table, given the shifts in the market. The key for leaders is to focus on being effective operators” - Asher Mathew

"To succeed as a partnerships leader, regardless of your title, you must understand your product, customer success, sales, and what matters to finance. You need to grasp it all—essentially acting as a mini-CEO." - Rich Gardner

"It's complex to map out these dynamics. Crossbeam has attempted to visualize the cloud, but when you consider hyperscalers and their marketplaces, they're now incorporating business software, not just IT and dev tools. This creates layers of ecosystems within ecosystems. Even hyperscalers are part of others' ecosystems, so no one is just a platform anymore—everyone is both a participant and a platform." - Kelly Sarabyn

On this episode of the Unlearn Podcast, hosts Asher Mathew & Kelly Sarabyn engage in a compelling discussion on the impacts of social media. They are joined by author Tobias Rose-Stockwell, known for his book "Outrage Machine,"

Tobias, a seasoned researcher in technology's societal impacts, shares insights gathered over a decade of study. His expertise sheds light on how platforms like Slack can disrupt workplace dynamics and productivity.

The episode delves into the complexities of social media's influence, exploring themes of workplace disruption, productivity challenges, and strategies for enhancing online trust and fact-checking. Listeners gain valuable insights into navigating the evolving landscape of social media and its broader implications.

Chapters -

00:00 - Social media's impact on workplace productivity and interpersonal relationships.

7:56 - How digital communication changes social dynamics in the workplace.

12:38 - How social media impacts moral emotions and mental health.

16:32 - Social media companies' ethical issues and how they prioritize engagement over morality.

21:03 - LinkedIn's algorithm and its impact on content visibility and toxicity.

27:51 - LinkedIn algorithm and content optimization.

31:50 - Creating and managing online communities, with a focus on engagement and outcomes.

35:30 - Content moderation challenges in social media platforms.

39:19 - Improving social media fact-checking through community-driven, AI-augmented platforms.

43:35 - Building trust in social media with a focus on verification engines and trust and safety teams.

Key Takeaways -

• Social media platforms like Slack can negatively impact workplace productivity and creativity due to constant distractions and performance-based interactions

• Writing text removes non-verbal cues and context, making online communication more open to misinterpretation compared to in-person interactions

• Prioritizing engagement alone can incentivize the spread of misinformation over truthful information on social media

• Community-driven fact-checking and citations from reputable sources can help combat viral misinformation spread on social media platforms

• The concept of building a "market for trust" by prioritizing validated information over viral hits in the long run could create more value for social media platforms

Key Quotes -

"I feel like LinkedIn is really changing. When I first started using it, it was a straightforward network where people had small circles. Now it seems like there are ccircles within circles. Different content is shown to different people, even in different countries. There was this creative explosion initially, but now every week I hear people frustrated because their reach and impressions are down. It feels like we've fallen into the situation you're describing." - Asher Mathew

"There's some really interesting research and history regarding LinkedIn's efforts to make its feed less toxic. Back in the day, most social media platforms didn't even have a news feed. When LinkedIn started, it was more about who you were connected to rather than having a feed. They implemented a feed early on, but then they actually turned it off due to spikes in garbage content, spam, and other issues typical of user-generated content networks. After a hiatus, they restarted the feed, around 2017 if I remember correctly, in a read-only format. They also selected specific influencers who could post to the feed, aiming for global reach with a small number of chosen influencers in the early days." - Tobias Rose-Stockwell

"I do think Wikipedia is a great example. People perceive it as very neutral, right? I've never heard anyone say, 'Wikipedia has a liberal bias' or something like that. It just comes across as neutral. I think it's hopeful that this neutrality can be embedded into social networks." - Kelly Sarabyn

On this episode of the Unlearn Podcast, hosts Asher and Kelly connect with Louise McEvoy, Vice President of US Channel Sales at Trend Micro. Louise shares her insights on building channel programs while balancing a demanding career with her passion for mountain climbing. The discussion covers topics such as obtaining executive buy-in for new models, modernizing competencies for channel leaders, and prioritizing tasks as a busy executive. The speakers explore adapting to changing market conditions, rethinking success metrics, and focusing on revenue growth, program development, and team support amid industry transformations. This conversation provides valuable perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing partnership executives in today's digital landscape.

Chapters -

00:00 - Balancing demanding career and non-career pursuits with a mountaineer.

06:20 - Transforming a channel through relationships and ecosystems.

10:06 - Unlearning traditional channel models and adopting new strategies for value creation.

15:55 - Transforming business models in the tech industry.

20:34 - Partner strategy, executive buy-in, and market shifts.

26:26 - Leveraging marketplaces for ISVs to resell products without embedding another ISV's product.

31:21 - Marketplaces, bundling, and corporate sponsorship.

38:06 - Modern partnership leadership competencies and evolution of roles.

46:40 - Prioritizing tasks and staying informed in a busy work environment.

Key Takeaways -

• In transforming business models, obtaining executive buy-in is crucial to mitigate disruptions across departments that may not align with the new direction.

• The evolution of partnership leadership roles now includes a broader spectrum of competencies, including influence, relationship building, and staying abreast of emerging market trends and tools.

• Effective strategies were discussed for achieving work-life balance by leveraging employer support, such as flexible time off and a culture of trust in employees.

• In modernizing channel models, speakers highlighted the effectiveness of combining traditional, transformational, and blue ocean strategies to adapt to evolving market conditions.

• Insightful techniques were shared for executives to prioritize tasks, focusing on areas such as revenue growth, program development, and team support.

Key Quotes-

“It's crucial to prioritize collaboration with finance teams and ensure they're well-informed. Finance teams can benefit from a deeper understanding of our business operations. Taking an operational approach and working closely with them to clarify processes is essential for seamless workflow. This clarity helps prevent future support challenges and enhances overall efficiency." - Asher Mathew

"Regarding ISVs, I see the value in integrating with their ecosystems. Take Trend Micro, for instance. We offer a unified platform with various modules and services. For customers using platforms that lack certain security aspects, our integrations with ISVs provide seamless extensions rather than requiring a complete overhaul. This approach avoids the complexity of enabling multiple products and ensures efficient integration that simply works." - Louise McEvoy