03
Define value · Partner pathways
Here's where most scorecards fall apart.
Run a three-person delivery boutique through a scorecard built for a ten-AE reseller and your best delivery partner looks like a struggling reseller. Your answers produce this pathway emphasis.
This decision holds together so far. Continue to test it against the remaining investment choices.
Pathway emphasis
Derived from partner mix, business priorities, and market context. Drag to adjust — it rebalances to 100%.
SellPrimary
Create and transact demand.
20%
Evidence that matters · Net-new customers, qualified pipeline, win rate, forecast quality, resale/transaction revenue, adoption after sale.
Serve
Implement, transform, operate, or manage.
20%
Evidence that matters · Deployment quality, capacity, time-to-value, customer satisfaction, retention, recurring services, low escalation.
Build
Extend the product through integrations, IP, agents, applications, or packaged solutions.
20%
Evidence that matters · Validated integration, joint customers, usage/adoption, solution quality, marketplace traction, roadmap alignment.
Influence
Create access, trust, introductions, or early-stage demand.
20%
Evidence that matters · Qualified introductions, ICP fit, conversion quality, attributable influence, relationship access.
Transact
Enable cloud, marketplace, distribution, procurement, or multi-party commerce.
20%
Evidence that matters · Transaction growth, attach, renewal/expansion, economics, operational quality, commit consumption, deal velocity.
Is my partner mix healthy? · Risk
- Every pathway is activeYou're asking one team to run five different programs at once.What to do · Choose one partner pathway and one growth priority for the first design sprint.
- No clear lead pathwayNo pathway is clearly first. Your scorecard will drift toward resale metrics and under-rate delivery and build partners.What to do · Make one pathway lead by at least 10 points so you can run the first design sprint on it.
Based on The Channel Duo playbook, not an industry average. Updates as you move the sliders.
Where to start
Pick the one partner type to redesign first. Your brief, evidence gates and Win-Win test will focus on it. We've pre-selected the one leading your sliders — confirm it or pick another. You can run the tool again for the others.
Why one? Redesigning every partner type at once spreads effort thin. Prove the approach on one, then repeat it.
Pathway-specific scorecards
The percentages are a starting draft, not universal truth. Change them by pathway, by margin model, by whatever your business actually needs this year.
What this table tells you
Each partner type is judged on different proof. Read down a column: it shows how much each of the five dimensions counts for that type of partner. Your starting pathway is highlighted. Faded columns are pathways your sliders gave little weight.
| Dimension | Sell | Serve | Build | Influence | Transact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commitment | 15% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 10% |
| Capability | 20% | 30% | 30% | 10% | 20% |
| Customer Value | 20% | 30% | 25% | 10% | 20% |
| Commercial Contribution | 35% | 15% | 20% | 45% | 40% |
| Strategic Value | 10% | 10% | 10% | 20% | 10% |
Notice the ceiling on commercial contribution
Even on Sell — the most transaction-heavy pathway in the model — commercial contribution is capped at 35%. Trailing revenue is a decent signal. It's a lousy predictor.