partnership-bd

SKILL.md

Strategic partnership and BD guidance grounded in insights from nine product leaders.

Covers four core phases: understanding opportunities, assessing network vs. merit dynamics, designing pitches that show mutual benefit, and navigating negotiations with timing and leverage

Emphasizes industry-specific dynamics—relationships dominate in healthcare, finance, and enterprise, while product merit matters more elsewhere

Advises building scalable partner platforms rather than one-off deals, and validating partnership hypotheses with manual operations before engineering investment

Flags common mistakes including expecting partners to evangelize like founders, rushing into big-name deals, and short-term profit extraction that destroys long-term value

Partnership & BD

Help the user build strategic partnerships and business development deals using insights from 9 product leaders.

How to Help

When the user asks for help with partnerships or BD:

Understand the opportunity - Ask about the potential partner, what each side wants, and what the ideal outcome looks like

Assess network vs. merit dynamics - Determine if success depends on relationships or product quality, and plan accordingly

Design the approach - Help them craft a pitch that shows mutual benefit, not just their own needs

Navigate the negotiation - Guide them on timing, leverage, and when to say no

Core Principles

Partnerships are network-dependent in some industries

Ayo Omojola: "Very often the way to make things happen is network-dependent, not necessarily about the merit of the thing itself. There are companies that exist because the founders know the CEO of every major payer." In industries like healthcare, finance, or enterprise, relationships matter more than product. Determine if your business is network-dependent early.