Inside the Microsoft Partner Ecosystem

My experience as CEO of a Startup in the Microsoft Partner Network

It was a sunny summers day in Bonn, Germany where Nik (Boemska CTO) and I were attending the local annual SAS Forum. Suffice to say that we’ve been to our fair share of tech forums in 2019, but this one will live on in memory for 2 reasons.

One, where we planted ourselves for an impromptu VR stand created because a number of people were keen to see the tech in action …

Two, this was where our path into the supposed labyrinth of Microsoft was set.

The Catalyst

At the event we met with a (then prospective) customer keen on licensing one of our products, Enterprise Session Monitor (ESM). They had a burning need for ESM yet a vendor freeze would delay onboarding us as a vendor by 18–24 months. As an alternative, they suggested we transact via the Azure Marketplace since they had ‘approved budget available’ there. Those 3 words got my attention. And the rest, as they say, is history :-)

Off To The Races

As a newbie, getting through some of the technical challenges of publishing a transactable offering could certainly be classed as a character building experience. Yet in Tracie Zenti we had a very passionate and responsive champion within the Azure Marketplace team. She put us in touch with the relevant support teams, and soon Chris (Boemska Director of Product Strategy) and I watched in awe as our prospective customer became fully fledged within minutes and just a couple of clicks. The legal, procurement and billing processes all taken care of via the Azure Marketplace. As anyone who appreciates the often significant effort and time required to complete such a transaction in the conventional way would agree, this is a big deal.

The Empathy Link

Beyond the obvious benefits, something about Microsoft greatly intrigued me as I was going through this process. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it at first. Then I read (or rather listened) to Satya Nadella’s book, Hit Refresh.

Empathy, the simple art of caring. It felt like Microsoft the organisation was attuned to the challenges faced by the businesses they partner with and the customers they serve. And Satya’s apparent empathy for those around him seems to permeate throughout the organisation, and to the people within it.

For example, Tracie proudly pointed me to an interview with Jeana Jorgensen by Charlotte Yarkoni in a series called In Real Life. Two people directly involved with the Marketplace (to varying degrees) showing empathy in their real lives, and making decisions that matter to businesses big and small in their professional lives. One such decision was to pay vendors when a transaction occurs as opposed to when Microsoft eventually gets paid. Anyone running a business will understand the material benefit of this action.

Going Deeper

At this point, I was all in. Ready to invest the time in exploring where this road could lead. And that road led me straight to Microsoft for Startups, a fantastic platform for scaling B2B businesses. I was ecstatic when Amali de Alwis accepted Boemska into the program and couldn’t wait to get going !!! Technical benefits such as Azure credits, worth thousands of dollars, were immediately useful to us. But getting traction with some of the other parts of the program needed a bit more time to play out.

Things kicked up a gear a few weeks into our time in the program when I read a LinkedIn post by recently appointed Vice President of Microsoft for Startups Jeffrey Ma. Whereas before I felt intrigued, I was now simply bursting at the seams with excitement. The fact that someone like Jeff would take on a role at Microsoft left no doubt that the metamorphoses of the Microsoft of old had come a very long way. And in truth, I relished the chance to work with Jeff in some way.

I reached out, and was delighted that within 3 days we got the chance to lay out our proverbial stall over a Teams call. And soon thereafter we were teamed up with a Startup Success Manager in the form of the exuberant Andy Kaul. Within weeks, Andy helped me successfully navigate a path towards achieving the coveted Microsoft IP Co-sell ready status. Amongst many other benefits, access to valuable co-sell resources and the worldwide Microsoft Sales team.

Cracking On

To crack on, as the English would say, is to simply just get on with it. And that is exactly what I plan to do. I don’t know where this road will lead or how long it will take to get there, wherever there may be! But I can say that the experience itself has left me energised and excited to play a part in the modern Microsoft story.

My Key Take Aways

We’re still only a few months into our partnership with Microsoft but enough water has passed under the bridge for me to share some of the key take aways from my experience so far. So here goes …

Technical chops. Make sure you or someone in the business with a technical affinity is engaged right from the outset. Processes and mechanisms to deploy and manage offerings on the Marketplace are quickly improving and maturing but it will certainly make life a little easier if you do.

Pricing. This is one of the first major hurdles to overcome. It is important to get right. More important is to simply get your offer out there. Changing your pricing plans is quick and easy to do so don’t get too hung up on it. You will learn as you go. And play with different options early on. You might be surprised by what works.

Marketing. Getting your product onto the Azure Marketplace doesn’t negate the need for marketing. It increases it. No marketplace is a wand that magically sells it for you. So link to it on your website. Talk about it in your networks. Shout it from rooftops. But whatever you do, make sure the relevant stakeholders know that it exists.

Flexibility. Working with Microsoft, as you’d expect with any large business, isn’t perfect and probably never will be. I have however seen many of the challenges we faced mature over the time we’ve worked with them. So be flexible and make the most of what is available, if for nothing else but your own sanity :-)

Partnership. Culminating with the benefits I experienced when becoming IP Co-sell ready, I can safely say that this has been the best experience of a partner ecosystem I’ve had to date. It’s the simple things, but simple things that make a huge difference to a business like ours. Again, the empathy to understand what is important to us crystalising into tangible benefits that actually mean something.

Own it. It’s your business and not Microsoft’s. Treat it as such. As with anything in life, you have to be willing to put in the work for it to be successful. So go on then, give it some welly.

If you’d like to hear more about the details behind it all, feel free to reach out. In the meantime be well, stay safe and whatever you’re busy with… make it rock !!!