Partnership Experiments That Compound

Partnerships often feel like a massive undertaking. We think about long negotiation cycles, complex contracts, and quarterly planning sessions. But experience shows that the best partnerships usually start much smaller than that. They work because both sides find a way to win quickly.

Instead of trying to plan a year-long strategy, start with experiments that take a week to set up and run. This allows you to test the waters without committing a huge amount of time or resources to a relationship that might not actually benefit either of you.

Three ways to test the waters

If you're looking for a low-friction way to see if a partnership has legs, try one of these:

• The Newsletter Swap: This is as simple as it sounds. You feature them in one of your emails, and they do the same for you. Use a shared call to action so you can both see if there's real interest.
• The Guest Workshop: Host a short, 30-minute live demo or a Q&A session for each other's audiences. It’s a great way to see if your message actually resonates with their people.
• The Template Bundle: Work together to create a single, useful resource—like a checklist or a guide—and share it with both of your audiences. Co-creating something small is a great way to see if you can actually work together.

The numbers to watch

While you're running these tests, keep an eye on a few things. You want to see how many leads are being generated and if those leads are actually converting into real calls. Also, pay attention to the time to close. If a partnership brings in leads that take six months to make a decision when your usual cycle is one month, it might not be the right fit.

How to pitch a quick test

When you reach out, keep your pitch grounded and focused on the outcome for their audience. Keep it simple:

We work with [ICP] who struggle with [pain]. 

We are running a quick experiment to help them [outcome]. 

Would you be open to a 2-week test where we co-share a guide?

The goal is to make it an easy "yes." If a potential partner can't see an immediate win for their own business or their audience, don't try to force it. Moving on early saves time for everyone. A good partnership should feel like a natural extension of what you're both already doing, not a mountain you have to climb together.