The Ecosystem Engine: How to Turn Partnerships Into Your Fastest Growth Channel | Juhi Saha S7:E2

Written by Mike J Midgley | Dec 4, 2025 10:19:55 AM

Welcome to the Force & Friction Podcast, where we break down what really moves the needle in GTM, RevOps, AI, partnerships, and SaaS growth.

Today, we're talking about ecosystem-led growth and how to transform partnerships into your company's fastest-growing revenue engine. I'm joined by Juhi Saha, the CEO of Partner 1, a passionate, curious engineer who fell into partnerships and has now helped hundreds of companies, from high-growth startups to global giants like Microsoft, Intel, and Qualcomm scale through ecosystems.

Juhi's approach is powerful because she bridges deep technical expertise with real-world go-to-market execution. From holding three patents on the battery-extending technology inside every mobile phone to orchestrating the first-ever real-time payment on the cloud, her career is a testament to the power of a systems-thinking mindset.

She was also a key player as the VP of Partnerships at Clearbit during its acquisition by HubSpot, and she brings a battle-tested perspective on how to build partner programs with strategic intent.

We get into the nuts and bolts of ecosystem-led growth, how to overcome the common fears that hold companies back, the playbook for building a partner program designed for a strategic exit, and why trust is becoming the most valuable currency in a world saturated with AI-generated noise.

Juhi Saha

Juhi specializes in turning partnerships into a company’s fastest growth engine. Over the past two decades, she helped startups, scale-ups, services companies and global enterprises transform complex ecosystems into real revenue, driving billions in pipeline (and valuations), accelerating exits, and scaling globally.

Ex Microsoft, were she launched and led Pegasus, the company’s flagship program for high-growth VC-backed startups, and also built fintech and AI partnerships that shaped Microsoft’s GTM strategy with key industries.

Earlier leadership roles at Intel and Qualcomm gave Juhi a foundation in product, operations, and ecosystem expansion.

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Here are the core areas we discuss in today's episode:

1. Ecosystem-Led Growth: Beyond One-to-One Combat

Juhi starts by cutting through the jargon to provide a clear, straightforward definition of ecosystem-led growth.

"For me, it's the strategy of driving revenue by using, essentially, this web of partners and other companies, so platforms, communities, complementary businesses, instead of relying solely on your sales force. It's about growing through a network, rather than just doing one-to-one sales. And if you picture a grid, you can sell so much faster than just a linear sales motion."

This isn't just about channel sales; it's a fundamental shift in mindset. Instead of engaging in the slow, linear grind of direct sales, you leverage the platforms, trust, and sales forces of other companies. It's about recognizing that you can get a foot in the door much faster when you're introduced by a trusted advisor who is already one of the seven other seats at the customer's table.

2. Overcoming the Fear: Trust is the Foundation

Many leaders are hesitant to embrace partnerships, fearing they will lose control, have their customers stolen, or fail to see a quick return on investment. Juhi addresses this head-on, arguing that these fears can be managed with a clear framework.

"What makes partnerships successful is firstly having the right ideal client profile. If you both are selling to the same customer, but you're complementary, then that's going to be a great partnership. Second piece, set up goals, so it's really clear from the start what you're solving for. Define what you're investing into the partnership. With all of that in place, a lot of that fear can be taken away because you're really clear on outcomes and how you're going to execute."

She compares it to dating: an introduction from a trusted friend is far more likely to succeed than a random match on an app. In business, a warm introduction from a partner who already has the customer's trust is halfway to a closed deal. In an era of AI-generated noise and catfishing, that trust is invaluable.

3. The Acquisition Playbook: Building with the End in Mind

In a candid moment, Juhi reveals the strategic thinking behind the partner program at Clearbit, which was ultimately acquired by HubSpot. The strategy was deliberately designed to make Clearbit an indispensable part of the MarTech ecosystem.

"What I realized was we weren't monetizing that API. The companies were building on us, so why not just be integral to every single layer in that MarTech funnel and stack? So that was our strategy... we started working with the leaders in each level of the stack. And what that allowed us to do was to embed ourselves into all of these different potential acquirers."

By creating an open ecosystem, Clearbit made itself incredibly valuable to a range of potential buyers. The lesson for any founder is to build with intent.

Whether the goal is an IPO or an acquisition, your partnership strategy should be a direct reflection of that end game. It's about having a clear goal and executing a plan to make your company a must-have asset.

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4. The Engineer's Mindset: A Systems Approach to Partnerships

Juhi's background as a systems engineer gives her a unique and powerful lens through which to view partnerships. She doesn't see deals in isolation; she sees an interconnected system of inputs, processes, and outputs.

"I don't look at deals or integrations in isolation, I look at them as a whole, as a system... things I'm thinking about are, you know, how will this integration influence customer adoption? Does it align with incentive structures...? And what downstream impact will it have as this variable changes on sales cycles, or margins, or how you scale? So, my brain works, like, I take inputs, convert them into processes, convert them into outputs across that entire ecosystem. That helps prevent blind spots that can be really, really costly."

This approach allows her to anticipate the second and third-order effects of any decision, preventing the kind of costly mistakes that can derail a partnership. It's a methodical, practical way of thinking that any leader can adopt to de-risk their growth strategy.

5. The Future: Consultancy-Led Selling and Flexible Ecosystems

Looking ahead, Juhi predicts two major shifts in the partnership landscape. First, as AI continues to generate a flood of low-quality content, trust will become the ultimate currency.

"Consultancy-based selling, or consultancy-led selling, rather than product-led selling, is going to be more and more important as people get more garbage... Trust is going to be the new currency... I think when people are thinking about AI adoption, they're gonna turn to the consultants and companies they trust, which is why you're seeing McKinsey, etc. build up huge AI consultancy practices as the Trojan horse."

Second, she warns that market consolidation is inevitable. The companies that thrive will be those that build flexibility into their partner motions, allowing them to pivot as the landscape changes.

"The companies that continue to thrive... are the ones that are building flexible ecosystems, so almost abstracting who they partner with, just like you would abstract your software so they can move from provider to provider. You're abstracting your partner motions so you have that ability to pivot."

In a world of uncertainty and litigation, being able to shift your alliances without rebuilding your entire program from scratch will be a critical competitive advantage.

Final Thoughts:

Juhi provides a clear, actionable blueprint for leveraging partnerships as a primary growth engine. Her engineer's mindset, combined with her extensive experience in the trenches, demystifies the world of ecosystem-led growth and offers a practical path forward.

Her core message is a powerful one: in an increasingly noisy and commoditized world, the companies that win will be those that build on a foundation of trust, execute with strategic intent, and have the foresight to build flexible, resilient partner ecosystems.

It's not about finding an easy button; it's about applying a rigorous, systems-based approach to building a network that can withstand the inevitable shocks of the market and drive sustainable, long-term growth.

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Mike Midgley runs a portfolio career, a dynamic hands on digital entrepreneur, founder of the Scrubbing Squad, NXD, strategist, public speaker, Winning by Design certified Revenue Architect and Host at The Force & Friction Podcast.

Mike has achieved multiple exits over a 30+ year career, raised Venture Capital and franchised his businesses 68 times.

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