Partnerships are a mirage. Direct sales is the oasis.

Why You Should Stop Chasing Partnerships Under $1M ARR

Every week, I see the same pattern with early-stage founders:

They want a shortcut to customers.

The logic? Smart. You have no resources. You need leverage. So what do you do?

You try to "partner up." Find someone with distribution. Someone who already has the audience you want. Someone who can sell for you.

On paper, it’s genius.

In reality? It’s a waste of time 99% of the time before $1M ARR.

Why It Looks Smart on Paper

• The partner already has access to your buyers
• You think your product adds value to their offering
• It sounds like a win-win… without the pain of cold outreach or marketing

Why It Fails in Practice (Almost Every Time)

• You’re a distraction: They already make money. Your product adds what? 0.1-1% to their top line?
• You’re a risk: You might pivot. Or worse, shut down. They won’t put their client trust on the line for you.
• They can build it themselves: Many partners just take the meeting to scout ideas. It’s a waste of time for you.
• They don’t care: You’re not their priority in their context. You’re a nice-to-have, not a must-have.

Why You Shouldn’t Want This Either

• You lose the customer relationship. They control the info, billing, and account. Very dangerous.
• You don’t learn: No direct feedback loop means no way to improve.
• The power dynamic is trash. You chase them, not the other way around.
• You bet on one horse. If that partner flops, you’re toast.
• You get “strategic alignment” paralysis. Hard to pivot with them in the way.

So When Should You Work With Partners?

• When they’re less than 20% of your pipeline and time spent (sales + engineering)
• When you’re attacking a market dominated by a few giants and you’re a very experienced founder with leverage and funds. And even there, I think it’s very dangerous.
• When you’ve already proven your own sales motion and just need to scale, not survive.

Bottom Line

If you’re under $1M ARR and relying on partners to sell for you, you’re not building a company. You’re gambling.

Key Takeaways

• Partnerships look like leverage. They’re usually delays.
• You’re here to learn. Partners block that.
• No one sells your product better than you.
• You're a rounding error to most partners.
• You need customer validation. Not co-selling fantasies.

Action Plan: Your No-BS Checklist

1. Kill the “channel partner” dream. Go close your own deals. Directly with end customers.
2. If you do test it, set clear deadlines and mutual milestones, or walk away.
3. Build a direct customer acquisition system. Outbound and sometimes inbound.
4. Talk to 10+ prospects weekly. Qualify, pitch, close.
5. Reconsider partnerships only when:
   • You’re closing deals directly
   • Demand is overwhelming
   • You can negotiate on your terms

Build your own success. Stay independent.

- Guillaume.