{"id":1495,"date":"2025-08-14T19:04:28","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T01:04:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raffy.ch\/blog\/?p=1495"},"modified":"2025-08-14T19:04:29","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T01:04:29","slug":"mastering-the-channel-ecosystem-lessons-from-our-blackhat-panel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/raffy.ch\/blog\/2025\/08\/14\/mastering-the-channel-ecosystem-lessons-from-our-blackhat-panel\/","title":{"rendered":"Mastering the Channel Ecosystem \u2014 Lessons From our BlackHat Panel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thanks to everyone who joined the panel at the BlackHat Innovators &amp; Investors Summit \u2014 it was a fast, practical session and full of real, repeatable advice. Below I\u2019ve distilled the conversation into the speakers and the <strong>most actionable takeaways<\/strong> founders, investors and channel leaders can use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who Spoke<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Daniel \u201cDB\u201d Bernard<\/strong> \u2014 Chief Business Officer, CrowdStrike<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Matt Berry<\/strong> \u2014 Global Field CTO, Cyber, World Wide Technology (WWT)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Chris Bisnett<\/strong> \u2014 Co-founder &amp; CTO, Huntress<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Peter Bryant<\/strong> \u2014 Market Analyst, Canalys<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Moderator<\/strong>: Raffael Marty, Operating Advisor<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/raffy.ch\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Screenshot-2025-08-14-at-3.57.53-PM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"546\" src=\"https:\/\/raffy.ch\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Screenshot-2025-08-14-at-3.57.53-PM-1024x546.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1496\" style=\"width:600px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/raffy.ch\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Screenshot-2025-08-14-at-3.57.53-PM-1024x546.png 1024w, https:\/\/raffy.ch\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Screenshot-2025-08-14-at-3.57.53-PM-300x160.png 300w, https:\/\/raffy.ch\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Screenshot-2025-08-14-at-3.57.53-PM-768x410.png 768w, https:\/\/raffy.ch\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Screenshot-2025-08-14-at-3.57.53-PM.png 1515w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Top-line Thesis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Great product is necessary but not sufficient. If you want scale and durability you must design product, GTM, pricing and operations <em>for the channel<\/em> \u2014 MSPs, VARs, MSSPs, distributors and hyperscaler marketplaces. Get those pieces aligned and the channel becomes your growth engine and a moat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Most Important, Actionable Insights<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1) Start with real customer evidence \u2014 then bring partners in<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Close a first few deals directly<\/strong> and then ask: <em>Who do you buy through?<\/em> If the customer uses a reseller or integrator, bring that partner into the next conversation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A partner introduced by a customer is infinitely more effective than cold outreach.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2) Target, pilot, then scale (regional first)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Don\u2019t boil the ocean. Pick a geography or vertical where a partner has influence, run an enablement-intensive pilot, close a few joint deals, and let the wins spread organically through the partner organization.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Grassroots wins (regional proof points) are how startup products get noticed inside large SIs and disti sales orgs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3) Engineer the product <em>for<\/em> MSPs and scale<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Some technical must-haves for MSPs: multi-tenancy, frictionless provisioning, usage-based billing, robust reporting, and minimal support overhead (no reboots, simple deployment).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Build integrations with RMM\/PSA tools. Partners won&#8217;t adopt tools that don\u2019t fit their stack.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4) Use hyperscaler marketplaces as a growth hack<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>AWS\/Azure\/Google marketplaces are a procurement shortcut \u2014 customers can spend cloud credits and close without long vendor approvals. CrowdStrike and others proved this: marketplace adoption accelerated scale dramatically.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prioritize marketplace readiness early (billing, security\/compliance, packaging).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5) Think of channel margin as <em>external sales \/ commission<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Yes, margins look worse on paper \u2014 but compare to the true CAC of building a direct sales force. That margin buys you reach and reduces acquisition risk (you only pay when a partner sells).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Measure partner-sourced vs partner-influenced revenue and the CAC of each.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6) Don\u2019t assume distis\/VARs will sell without support<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Listing in a distributor catalog is not the finish line. You must: enable, co-market, provide lead flow, run joint sales plays, and sometimes front-end incentives to get sellers focused on your SKU.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Short-term investment in enablement and marketing is how you get long-term pull-through.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7) Build partner economics and enablement as products<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Provide free (or low-cost) certification, sales playbooks, demo environments, one-click onboarding, and co-branded assets. These reduce time-to-first-deal and lower partner friction.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Consider usage-based billing to match MSP economics: partners want to align cost with consumed endpoints\/services.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8) Decide and double-down on one partner type first<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>MSP vs MSSP vs VAR vs SI: each requires a different product shape and GTM. Nail one, then expand. Trying to serve all at once dilutes focus and kills momentum.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9) Invest in partner success and low-touch CSM automation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>With thousands of SMB endpoints, you can\u2019t scale human CSM for every account. Automate onboarding, monitoring, renewal nudges and migration tools \u2014 make it easy for MSPs to manage many customers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">10) Metrics you should be tracking from day 1<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Time-to-first-deal with partner (by partner type)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Partner-sourced pipeline and partner-influenced revenue<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Onboarding time per MSP customer (time-to-live)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Churn by partner \/ churn during partner transitions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Net retention for partner-sourced customers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Practical checklist for founders (do this tomorrow)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Pull your top 3 customers and ask: <em>who did you buy through?<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pick one partner (regional or niche) and design a 90-day pilot with joint enablement and a measurable close objective.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Audit product integration: do you have PSA\/RMM connectors? If not, roadmap one.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prepare an AWS\/Azure\/Google marketplace package (billing, security, description, packaging).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create a partner enablement kit: demo script, short playbook, 1-page technical install guide, and a free certification.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Model partner economics as commission vs. CAC \u2014 present it to your board\/investors as external sales.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Instrument partner metrics in your analytics and report them weekly.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Suggested questions to ask a distributor \/ VAR \/ SI when exploring partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Who in your organization will sell and who will implement our solution? (names\/roles)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What does success look like in the first 90 days? How many joint opportunities will you target?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Which 3 vendors do you co-sell with today (and how do we integrate with them)?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What enablement will you need from us (sales motion, demo environment, pricing, rebates)?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How will leads\/credit\/margin be handled if a customer comes direct?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">For investors: what to look for in a channel-first startup<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Product designed for the channel: multi-tenancy, RMM\/PSA integrations, usage billing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Early partner proofs: paying partners or partner-introduced deals, not just distributor listings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A go-to-market playbook for partner enablement (documented processes, enablement kits, measurable time-to-first-deal).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Marketplace strategy and early traction (even if small, momentum matters).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Closing takeaways (what I heard loud and clear)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The channel is not a shortcut \u2014 it\u2019s a discipline. If you commit, build for it, and invest in the partner motion, channel-first companies scale faster and with lower long-term CAC.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Start with customers, pilot locally with partners, engineer for MSP realities, and use marketplaces to accelerate procurement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Win through repeatable partner plays and measurable enablement \u2014 wins scale inside partner organizations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thanks again to BlackHat for having us and to the panelists to take time out of their busy schedules to impart these very actionable insights.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thanks to everyone who joined the panel at the BlackHat Innovators &amp; Investors Summit \u2014 it was a fast, practical session and full of real, repeatable advice. Below I\u2019ve distilled the conversation into the speakers and the most actionable takeaways founders, investors and channel leaders can use. Who Spoke Top-line Thesis Great product is necessary [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-go-to-market"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/raffy.ch\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/raffy.ch\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/raffy.ch\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/raffy.ch\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/raffy.ch\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1495"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/raffy.ch\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1495\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1501,"href":"https:\/\/raffy.ch\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1495\/revisions\/1501"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/raffy.ch\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/raffy.ch\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/raffy.ch\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}