Partnerships in Growth Stages

A Practical Guide to Building the Right Partnerships at Each Stage

Introduction

Building partnerships is like building a house - you need the right materials at the right time. You wouldn't put in the windows before the foundation is set. The same goes for partnerships: each growth stage needs specific partner categories and partner types that match your company's ability to handle them.

Growth Stages.png

This guide will show you how to build partnerships that match your growth stage. We'll look at what works when, what to avoid, and how to know you're ready for the next step.

Understanding Growth Stages in B2B SaaS

Before we dive into partnerships, let's be clear about growth stages. Most B2B SaaS companies follow a path from Seed ($0-1M) through Startup ($1M-10M), ScaleUp ($10M-100M), and GrownUp ($100M+) to Enterprise (IPO and beyond). Each stage brings new challenges and opportunities.

You can split these stages into two main ways of thinking about growth. We call them growth paradigms:

  1. Capital-Efficient Growth (CEG): This runs from Seed through ScaleUp. Here, you're trying to do more with less, making every dollar count.
  2. Profitable-Efficient Growth (PEG): This kicks in at the GrownUp stage. Now you're balancing growth with profits and thinking long-term.