Pioneering Co-Selling & Redefining SaaS Partnerships | Cassandra Gholston | S3:E13

In this episode of Force and Friction, we sit down with Cassandra Gholston, CEO and Co-Founder of PartnerTap, to discuss the evolution of co-selling, partner ecosystems, and data-driven partnership strategies.

With a background in enterprise sales at ADP and Concur, Cassandra experienced firsthand the inefficiencies of manual partner collaboration, which led her to build PartnerTap, a platform designed to unlock hidden pipeline through automated partner co-selling.

She also shares insights on scaling partnerships, the future of ecosystem-led growth, and the importance of building inclusive business communities like Fempire, an initiative designed to shift capital toward women-led businesses.

This episode is a must-listen for SaaS founders, partnership leaders, and revenue teams looking to navigate the changing landscape of GTM partnerships.

Cassandra Gholston

Cassandra Gholston is a leader in co-sell partnerships and revenue growth, known for creating the co-sell software category and transforming how enterprises drive revenue with partners.

As the CEO & Co-Founder of PartnerTap, she has helped companies like Salesforce, SAP, HPE, ADP, and Lumen unlock hidden pipeline through data-driven, automated partner co-selling.

Cassandra's mission? To help revenue teams unlock hidden pipeline and drive revenue faster through data-driven partner collaboration.

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Here are the core areas we discuss in today's episode:

Unlocking Hidden Pipeline with Data-Driven Co-Selling:

Many SaaS companies struggle to effectively leverage partnerships because of manual processes, disconnected data, and unclear alignment between partner sales teams.

“Partnerships are about more than just referrals—real revenue acceleration happens when teams are strategically aligned and co-selling at scale.”

Cassandra explains how PartnerTap enables businesses to:

1: Map millions of accounts to uncover new sales opportunities.
2: Identify overlap between partners’ install bases.
3: Automate warm introductions between sales teams.
4: Track co-selling efforts with clear revenue attribution.

The key takeaway? Stop treating partners like commission-only resellers, real partnerships are built on shared pipeline and mutual success.

The Give-to-Get Mentality - Playing the Long Game in Partnerships:

Many companies approach partnerships with a "What can I get?" mindset, which often leads to short-term, transactional relationships. Cassandra flips the script, advocating for a "Give-to-Get" approach.

“You have to give before you get. Partnerships take time to develop, but when done right, they pay off in ways you can’t imagine.”

She shares a powerful example from Dreamforce, where PartnerTap, as a startup, fed leads to a much larger partner, which later turned into one of their biggest customers.

The lesson? Think long-term. Partnerships should be built on trust, not immediate transactions.

Fempire: Creating an Ecosystem for Women in Leadership:

Beyond PartnerTap, Cassandra is passionate about shifting capital toward women-led businesses. She founded Fempire, a growing network of women in leadership, to create opportunities for female executives and founders.

What started as a small dinner with 8 women turned into a movement backed by Microsoft, Nvidia, and ServiceNow.

“Women already have power in their organizations—we just need to remind each other of it and create intentional spaces to collaborate.”

The Fempire dinners help women leaders forge powerful connections, drive new business, and support each other in navigating corporate and startup challenges.

The Evolution of Partnerships: From Resellers to Ecosystem-Led Growth:

Cassandra breaks down how the nature of partnerships has fundamentally changed, shifting from reseller-based models to ecosystem-driven co-selling strategies.

• Old Model: Resellers sell software and receive a commission.
• New Model: Partners actively collaborate on sales cycles, sharing data and pipeline.

“The best companies—Microsoft, Nvidia, Salesforce, have built moats through ecosystem-led growth. If you’re not thinking about partnerships, you’re limiting your potential.”

She emphasizes the need for data-driven partner collaboration to maximize deal flow and influence buying decisions.

The Power of 3: How Companies Can Leverage Multi-Partner Strategies:

A growing trend in the enterprise world is the "Power of 3" model, where three aligned partners work together on large-scale deals.

• One company leads the engagement (e.g., a large ERP or GSI).
• A niche ISV (Independent Software Vendor) fills a critical gap.
• A third partner integrates the solution into existing tech stacks.

“When done right, multi-partner collaboration creates a revenue multiplier effect. The challenge is tracking these motions effectively—which is why automation is critical.”

This three-way alignment strategy is a game-changer for scaling enterprise partnerships.

The Future of Partner Management: Fewer Partner Managers, More Data-Driven Sellers:

With automation and AI transforming the partnership landscape, Cassandra predicts a shift in how partner teams operate.

• Fewer partner managers – Instead of large partner teams, companies will rely on AI-driven data insights to guide strategy.
• Sellers will own partner engagement – Account executives will be empowered with partner data to execute deals.
• More transparency in revenue attribution – Companies will invest in co-selling tech to measure partner impact.

“The role of the partner manager is changing—it’s becoming less about spreadsheets and more about strategic data-driven decision-making.”

This shift will require companies to modernize their GTM approach and ensure partnership motions are fully integrated into sales workflows.

Final Thoughts

Cassandra Gholston’s insights shed light on the next frontier of SaaS partnerships, emphasizing the power of:

• Co-selling as the key to unlocking hidden pipeline
• Playing the long game with a Give-to-Get mindset
• Leveraging data and automation to scale partnerships
• Building inclusive ecosystems like Fempire to support leadership diversity

If you’re in SaaS, partnerships, or GTM strategy, this episode is packed with practical insights on navigating the evolving partnership landscape.

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Mike Midgley is the CEO at 6teen30 Digital, Inc. and a dynamic digital entrepreneur, nxd, strategist, public speaker and host of TheOpenMike Podcast show & Co-Host at The Force & Friction Podcast.

Mike has achieved successful six and seven-figure exits over a 30-year career, raised in excess of £1.6m [$2.5m] in Venture Capital and franchised his businesses 68 times.

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