Ep 1 - Behind the Partner Program

Most partner programs were inherited, not designed. Tiers accumulated, rules multiplied, and incentive logic got buried under years of exceptions and org changes resulting in programs that are hard to navigate, expensive to manage, and increasingly disconnected from how partnerships actually create value.

In the first episode of Spur Conversations, host Kate Caday invites two senior ecosystem leaders — Meg Brennan of HP and Michelle Hodges of Barracuda Networks — to set aside the incremental conversation and engage with a more fundamental question: if you had a clean sheet of paper, what would you actually build?

Key takeaways:

• Partners operate across multiple routes to market simultaneously. Programs that assume otherwise are already behind.

• Ground partner experience in empathy. Programs should fit how partners actually operate, not force partners to adapt to internal constructs.

• How you structure your data determines how quickly you can adapt your program. Treat it like infrastructure, not an afterthought.

• Most tier structures measure past performance rather than future potential. Forward-looking programs need mechanisms that reward growth and trajectory, not just volume.

• Emerging AI capabilities are enabling more intuitive, proactive partner engagement — from personalized seller guidance to insight-driven recommendations at scale.