Partnerships Are the Prerequisite for Success in the Third Wave
“Partnerships in the Third Wave are the prerequisite for success.”
— Steve Case, The Third Wave
That line was written nearly a decade ago. And yet, it feels like it was written for this exact moment.
We’re now living in the reality Steve Case predicted—where the next generation of businesses won’t be built on product alone. The tools of today have lowered the barrier to entry. You can spin up a solid product faster than ever before. But in a world of great products, what actually sets companies apart?
Your ability to partner.
“While your product has to be great, your partnership skills may end up determining your success or failure.”
That’s the new truth.
Whether it’s a strategic alliance, marketplace listing, product integration, or VAR motion—we don’t build businesses alone anymore. The companies that win are the ones that build intentional, aligned, and activated partner ecosystems.
But here’s the part we don’t talk about enough:
Partnerships don’t automatically create success.
Plenty of us have been part of those “paper partnerships” that never went anywhere. A shared logo on a slide deck isn’t strategy. Hope isn’t a plan.
To give a partnership a real shot at success, it needs three essential ingredients:
1. Alignment
Start by agreeing on what success actually looks like. Both sides need clarity on the “why” behind the partnership—and how you’ll measure the impact. Without it, everything else will drift.
2. Onboarding & Enablement
Once you’re aligned, you need a roadmap. Share resources. Enable teams. Build joint plans. Set the partnership up for motion—not just documentation.
3. Activation
Now, take it to market together. That means co-selling, co-marketing, and consistently showing up to move the needle. Partnerships don’t succeed in theory—they succeed in the field.
The takeaway?
Don’t build partnerships just because it sounds like a good business idea.
Build partnerships with purpose.
The companies that do it right will not only grow—they’ll lead. They’ll be the ones writing the next chapter of what Steve Case called The Third Wave.
If you're working in partnerships today, your role is more than a function. It's foundational. You’re shaping the direction of your company and the future of business itself.
Let’s go build it.
Together.