Ep 23 | Beyond Channels: A Holistic Approach to Partnering Across the Value Chain

On this episode of the Unlearn Podcast, hosts Kelly and Asher chat with Greg Sarafin about his extensive career journey at IBM and EY. Greg highlights the significance of grasping a company's business model, and distinguishing between scarcity and abundance mindsets. He emphasizes the success potential of companies embracing abundance by partnering to deliver client outcomes effectively. The conversation also covers topics such as the impact of cloud technology on collaboration, prioritizing outcomes over individual partnerships, and the necessity for quantifying strategic value in partner leadership. Greg's insights from transforming EY's partner program advocating for an abundance mindset, offering valuable perspectives on measuring partnership ROI and optimizing enterprise-level partner functions. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 01:09 - Career journey and partnership building in the consulting industry 09:00 - CPO role and business model in the context of partnering and abundance economy 13:41 - Partnering and abundance mindset in business  19:18 - Business models, collaboration, and capital strategies  23:46 - Partnering strategies in business 28:40 - Data monetization and cleanup in the decade ahead 33:29 - Partnering function value creation and C-suite engagement  38:02 - Partner ecosystems and outcomes 45:12 - Partner relationships and cost optimization  51:11 - Partnering with audit firms and HR in tech companies Key Takeaways  Companies should adopt either a mindset of abundance allowing them to create more value through partnering. Cloud reduces barriers to effective partnering by lowering the cost of interoperability between companies. Partner leaders should focus on outcomes rather than individual partnerships, and view partnering holistically across the value chain. Tracking metrics like win rate and cost of sales is important to quantitatively prove the value of strategic partnerships. Adopting an abundance mindset where companies combine assets is key for the partner function and company success in today's business environment. Key quotes: "It doesn't matter what I think, the market trends are remarkably consistent. Abundance mindset outside in value orchestration, business models, are increasingly going to outperform those that are not." - Greg Sarafin