ZINFI Technologies, Inc.

Storytelling: The Heart of Partner Ecosystem Marketing In this episode, Sugata Sanyal, Founder & CEO of ZINFI, is joined by Ffjorren Zolfaghar, VP of Alliances at IDMWORKS. Ffjorren shares her unique career journey from journalism to the forefront of technology alliances, highlighting how the art of storytelling remains a critical skill in B2B marketing. The discussion explores the rapidly evolving identity management landscape, the role of partners in navigating complex cybersecurity challenges, and the criteria for building successful, trust-based technology alliances. Listeners will better understand why focusing on business outcomes over technical specifications is key to engaging customers and partners. Tune in to learn how to cut through the noise and create a partner marketing strategy that resonates, drives value, and builds lasting relationships in a dynamic tech ecosystem. Related Guidebook Hybrid Cloud and Edge AI Computing Impacting the Future of PRM How AI, Hybrid Cloud, and Edge Computing Are Transforming Partner Relationship Management Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of Hybrid Cloud and Edge AI Computing Impacting the Future of PRM Best Practices Guidebook. How AI, Hybrid Cloud, and Edge Computing Are Transforming Partner Relationship Management. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Storytelling: The Heart of Partner Ecosystem Marketing ✔ Chapter 1: The Journey from Journalism to Tech Alliances Ffjorren Zolfaghar begins the conversation by introducing herself as the VP of Alliances for IDMWORKS, a services-led organization that handles reselling and managed services. She reveals that her tech career spans over a decade and is actually a second career. Her first was in journalism, a field she entered after studying at the University of Minnesota. She started in radio, TV, and newspaper, covering general news with an initial aspiration to become a reporter for the nightly news. Her journey then took a different turn, leading her to become a content editor and director for a publishing house, where she focused on alternative healthcare and lifestyle topics. The transition into technology was initially driven by a practical need for a more lucrative career, a decision influenced by her younger brother, who made key introductions for her. Ffjorren acknowledges the irony of her current role. As a self-proclaimed lover of pen and paper who enjoys unplugging from all devices, she admits that many people would find her unlikely to work in the technology sector. Despite this, she quickly rose, leveraging her foundational skills. She believes that the communication and writing skills honed in journalism are a "lost art" that has been tremendously helpful in her career, first in marketing and then in partner sales and management. This unique background gives her a distinctive perspective on the power of clear and compelling communication in a technical and often jargon-filled industry. She discusses the core principle that connects her two careers: storytelling. She explains that the objective remained the same whether she was writing a news story for an audience or creating marketing content for a consumer. The goal is to gain attention, provide information, and make the content relatable and digestible so the audience understands the message. From her perspective, everyone is telling a story and "selling something" every day, whether it's themselves in a job interview or a company's vision to a customer. She sees marketing and sales as interconnected, working hand-in-hand. This foundational understanding of narrative and audience engagement allowed her to pivot into marketing seamlessly and, eventually, into her current role in alliances, where she focuses on communicating value and building trusted relationships.

Leading Microsoft Ecosystems at Scale in the AI Era In this episode, Sugata Sanyal the main boss (Founder & CEO) of ZINFI, has a great chat with Nina Harding. Nina is a Corporate Vice President at Microsoft, overseeing how Microsoft works with partners across the Americas region. Nina shares her incredible journey in leadership, showing how partnerships have changed a lot over the years. They talk about how new AI technology has a massive effect on how businesses work and how companies help their customers. Nina explains how Microsoft is helping its many partners get ready for this significant change and thrive through it. You'll learn how flexibility, working together, and focusing on good results make new things happen faster in the Microsoft world. Listen in to find out more about what's next for AI and working with partners. Related Guidebook Navigating the AI Revolution: A Guide for Partners in the Microsoft Ecosystem Your Essential Roadmap for Growth and Innovation in the Age of AI Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of Navigating the AI Revolution: A Guide for Partners in the Microsoft Ecosystem Best Practices Guidebook. Your Essential Roadmap for Growth and Innovation in the Age of AI. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Leading Microsoft Ecosystems at Scale in the AI Era ✔ Chapter 1: Nina’s Career Path and Partner Growth Nina Harding talks about her long career, which includes working at big companies like Oracle, SAP, Google, and twice at Microsoft. Throughout these years, she has always focused on how different companies work together, which she calls "partnerships." She has seen how these partnerships have changed significantly over 30 years. When she started in the early 1990s, she saw how new computer programs and databases were just beginning to be used, and this helped her understand how the digital world would grow. Because she worked for both huge companies and smaller new companies, Nina learned special ways to help partners use big market opportunities and create new things together. Nina has noticed a significant shift in how companies work with partners. It used to be that companies focused on just a few special partners. The goal is to get a whole "ecosystem" of many different partners to work together and succeed. This raised a question: should companies tell partners exactly what to do, or should they let partners help lead the way? Nina says that at Microsoft, working with partners has always been a key part of how the company works, right from the start. This means that when Microsoft creates new products or sales plans, it always includes partners to ensure customers get what they need. Microsoft, led by Nina, tries to build strong trust and long-lasting relationships with its partners, not just work with them for quick wins. This commitment shows up in many ways. Microsoft helps partners learn new skills and provides training. They also bring partners into their sales meetings and events. They ensure partners are part of how Microsoft sells its products and services and offer special rewards to help partners do well. This way of working together is based on the idea that "we are better together." It allows the whole Microsoft world to work as one team, ensuring everyone wins. ✔ Chapter 2: How Leaders Make Change Happen Nina Harding discusses how big companies like Microsoft, Oracle, and Google have similar parts. No matter the company, she always has to work with different partners, like those who sell products or create new software. She needs to understand what each type of partner needs and how they can all help each other. Partners always want to know the big company's plan and how they can fit into that pl...

Industry 4.0 Roadmap: Modernize, Optimize, Transform In this episode, Sugata Sanyal Founder & CEO of ZINFI, is joined by Jeff Winter, Vice President of Business Strategy for Critical Manufacturing and a leading Industry 4.0 influencer. They dive deep into the core of the Industry 4.0 transformation, moving beyond the hype to discuss practical realities. Jeff explains that this new industrial revolution is not just about technology but requires a fundamental shift in people, culture, and leadership. Listeners will gain a clear understanding of what makes this era unique, with a focus on bridging the long-standing gap between IT and OT teams. The discussion explores the real-world application of AI and IoT in manufacturing. It provides a clear roadmap for any organization looking to navigate its digital transformation journey through the essential steps of modernizing, optimizing, and ultimately achieving true business transformation. Tune in to learn how to build a resilient and agile operation for the future. Related Guidebook The Smart Manufacturing Playbook: Your Guide to Industry 4.0 Transformation A leader’s roadmap to leveraging people, technology, and strategy for competitive advantage Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of The Smart Manufacturing Playbook: Your Guide to Industry 4.0 Transformation Best Practices Guidebook. A leader’s roadmap to leveraging people, technology, and strategy for competitive advantage. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Industry 4.0 Roadmap: Modernize, Optimize, Transform ✔ Chapter 1: The People-First Mandate for Industry 4.0 The journey into Industry 4.0 is frequently mischaracterized as a purely technological endeavor. While advanced tools are a catalyst, the ultimate success of this industrial revolution hinges on a more complex and crucial element: people. The most formidable challenge in any digital transformation is not the deployment of new software or the installation of sophisticated sensors; it is the cultivation of a new mindset across the entire organization. Technology can be purchased, but a culture of innovation and adaptability cannot be. This essential cultural evolution must be championed from the highest levels of leadership. Executives must perceive Industry 4.0 not as a series of siloed IT projects but as a comprehensive business evolution that fundamentally reshapes how value is created, delivered, and measured. This strategic imperative shifts the focus from merely proving a technology works to demonstrating how that technology moves the entire business forward, delivering tangible results and a sustainable competitive advantage. This transformation requires the broader workforce to embrace a new professional paradigm of continuous learning and cross-disciplinary thinking. The very nature of manufacturing work is evolving. An employee's role is no longer confined to the repetitive operation of a single machine. Instead, they are becoming the managers of a connected, data-driven process that is constantly refined and improved. This demands newfound agility and a comfort with ambiguity, as change is the only constant in this new environment. The days of mastering and repeating a single task for years are over; future workers must be adaptable problem-solvers who can leverage data to make informed decisions. Organizations that invest in upskilling and reskilling their employees will be the ones that thrive, as they recognize that their human capital is the actual engine of innovation in the digital age. This people-first mandate is not an abstract concept but a practical necessity for survival and growth. Without buy-in from the leadership team down to the plant floor, even the most promising technological initiatives will fail to achieve their full poten...

Unlocking Partner Ecosystem-Led Growth In this episode, Sugata Sanyal Founder & CEO of ZINFI, is joined by Rob Moyer, Head of Partnerships at Gong, to explore the intricacies of building a modern, high-growth partner ecosystem. Rob shares his unique perspective, having built partnership programs at scale with Microsoft and from the ground up at startups like Gong. The discussion provides a detailed strategy guide on creating a successful channel strategy in today’s technology landscape. Key topics include focusing on boutique partners before scaling, establishing a tactical framework for mutual success through collaboration docs and clear goals, and evolving beyond traditional co-sell models to a more integrated "co-close" approach. This conversation is essential for any business leader looking to drive significant revenue and customer value through strategic partnerships. Listen now to unlock Gong's proven strategies. Related Guidebook Hybrid Cloud and Edge AI Computing Impacting the Future of PRM How AI, Hybrid Cloud, and Edge Computing Are Transforming Partner Relationship Management Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of Hybrid Cloud and Edge AI Computing Impacting the Future of PRM Best Practices Guidebook. How AI, Hybrid Cloud, and Edge Computing Are Transforming Partner Relationship Management. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Unlocking Partner Ecosystem-Led Growth ✔ Chapter 1: The Modern Partner Flywheel: From Boutiques to Scale The journey to building a scalable partner ecosystem does not begin with casting the widest net possible. Rob Moyer explains that the foundational step is to be highly selective and strategic. Instead of immediately pursuing large distributors or broad marketplaces, the most effective initial strategy is identifying and engaging with boutique partners. These smaller, specialized firms often have deep expertise and trusted relationships within a specific niche that aligns perfectly with your ideal customer profile (ICP) and, just as importantly, your target persona. This focused approach allows a vendor to secure critical early wins, build momentum, and refine its value proposition with deeply invested and aligned partners. It is a process of starting small to build a strong, repeatable model. Once a successful and repeatable motion is established with these boutique partners, the next phase of the flywheel involves scaling the program. This is where broader platforms like major technology marketplaces and traditional distribution channels become valuable. However, simply being present on these platforms is not a strategy. The early work done with boutique partners provides the proof points, case studies, and refined messaging needed to stand out among the thousands of other vendors on a line card. The success in the initial phase creates the credibility and gravitational pull necessary to attract larger partners and effectively leverage their scale. This methodical, phased approach ensures that growth is built on a solid, validated foundation rather than premature, ineffective bets. This strategy requires a significant mindset shift for partner managers, who must act more like sales development representatives (SDRs) than traditional relationship managers. Finding the right boutique partners involves proactive, targeted outreach. It requires building an ideal partner profile (IPP) and using modern tools, like LinkedIn, to conduct cold outreach and sell them on the vision of a partnership. It is about creating opportunities, not waiting for them. This disciplined, outbound effort to recruit the right-fit partners is the engine that powers the initial turn of the partner ecosystem flywheel, setting the stage for long-term, scalable success.

Talent Recruitment for Startup: Missionaries & Mercenaries In this episode, Sugata Sanyal Founder & CEO of ZINFI sits down with Mark Bartlett, Co-founder and CRO of HireClarity, to explore the powerful parallels between military discipline and startup recruitment. Mark, a former naval officer, shares his unique journey and the transferable skills he gained, from clear communication to decisive leadership. The discussion dives into the critical distinction between hiring "missionaries" driven by purpose and "mercenaries" motivated by financial gain. They discuss how a mission-based approach to building a team can lead to greater success and a stronger company culture. This is essential for any founder looking to make a resilient and dedicated team. Related Guidebook Hybrid Cloud and Edge AI Computing Impacting the Future of PRM How AI, Hybrid Cloud, and Edge Computing Are Transforming Partner Relationship Management Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of Hybrid Cloud and Edge AI Computing Impacting the Future of PRM Best Practices Guidebook. How AI, Hybrid Cloud, and Edge Computing Are Transforming Partner Relationship Management. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Talent Recruitment for Startup: Missionaries & Mercenaries ✔ Chapter 1: The Foundation of Leadership and Military Discipline The initial segment of the podcast lays the groundwork for Mark Bartlett's unique perspective on leadership, drawing heavily from his 13 years of service in the Australian military. He describes his decision to join the military as an almost whimsical choice made during a period of uncertainty as a university student. This experience, however, proved to be formative, instilling in him skills that are "transferable to the commercial world". His journey from an enlisted soldier to a naval officer gave him a structured environment emphasizing discipline and clear, concise communication. He highlights that military leadership isn't just about giving orders and influencing people to achieve a common goal. This early discussion sets the stage for understanding his core belief that effective leadership is rooted in a structured approach to communication and teamwork. Mark's military career, particularly his time with the United Nations peacekeeping force in East Timor, is a crucial case study in diverse collaboration. He recounts working at a headquarters with 75 members from 27 countries, forcing him to navigate cultural differences and communication styles. A key anecdote involves an Australian colonel who advised him to slow his speech because only "half the people understood half of what you said". This experience taught him the importance of adapting and embracing different perspectives, a lesson he found invaluable. This segment emphasizes that true partnership and collaboration require more than just clear communication; they demand an understanding of cultural nuances and a willingness to be open-minded. The discussion transitions to a specific moment of conflict during his last tour, highlighting the importance of a leader's ability to adapt quickly under pressure. He describes a situation where his and his Thai friend's interpretations of the same event differed due to their contextual backgrounds. This experience reinforced his understanding that people see the same situation through "separate sets of eyes" and that a leader's role is to help the team understand each other's viewpoints to find common ground. This intense, high-stakes environment helped him break down communication barriers and make quick, informed decisions. This section of the podcast showcases how Mark's military experience shaped his understanding of situational leadership and the importance of fostering a unified perspective despite disagreement.

Partner Performance: Measure What Matters In this episode, Sugata Sanyal Founder & CEO of ZINFI, welcomes Chris Messina from QuarqAI in this talk. They discuss how hard it is to measure what partners do. Chris talks about starting QuarqAI to fix this problem of "invisible" partnerships. This episode shows how to look past just leads and money to see the full value partners bring. Listen to learn how a straightforward way to measure things can change how company leaders see and pay for partner programs. Related Guidebook Getting More From Partner Performance: A Guide to Measuring What Matters Best Practices See the Hidden Value of Your Partners and Grow Your Business Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of Getting More From Partner Performance: A Guide to Measuring What Matters Best Practices Best Practices Guidebook. See the Hidden Value of Your Partners and Grow Your Business. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Partner Performance: Measure What Matters ✔ Chapter 1: The Problem: You Can't See What Partners Do Chris Messina starts by talking about the main problem QuarqAI wants to fix: you can't see what partners do. He says that for 15 years, he built partner programs. They often looked like they failed on paper, even when doing well. It was hard to show his work and prove the value partners added that didn't involve direct sales. He explains that partner teams do many things that don't easily appear in sales numbers. It is hard to get company leaders to trust them and invest more. The challenge is to show all the good things partners do that don't fit into regular reports. Chris felt this problem strongly. In early 2024, he realized the most significant issue was "nobody believes us". He left his job to solve this problem. At first, he thought about a top-down plan. But then, he saw that AI could help fix the issue from the ground up. The name "QuarqAI" comes from this idea. It means proving value at the smallest level. If they can show value there, they can show all the value that other tools miss. This will help company leaders trust and invest in partner programs. Chris says partnerships live "inside everybody else's metrics, KPIs, tools". This means partner teams must try to show their value after the fact. Also, since these tools belong to other teams, there's a problem where other teams say, "That's my credit". These tools also set the rules for what success means for those teams. Partner teams don't have their own clear goal. QuarqAI wants to make partnerships visible and create one clear way to measure success that everyone understands. This will give partner leaders the tools to prove their worth and become important company leaders. ✔ Chapter 2: Measuring Partners: Big Companies vs. Small Companies Chris explains that measuring partners is hard for massive and tiny companies, but in different ways. For big companies that spend billions on partner programs, the problem is knowing what most of their partners are doing. He gives examples: a company with 5,000 partners only knows what 50 are doing. Google has 100,000 partners, but only truly understands 5,000 to 10,000. So, big companies can't easily show the value of most of their partners. Partners also want to be valued for more than just sending leads. They do other essential things that don't get noticed. QuarqAI wants to help by showing how partners affect important company goals (KPIs). This allows companies to group partners by what they do, instead of just seeing them as one big group. For smaller companies, the problem is getting noticed by bigger companies and proving their value when they don't have many resources. Here,

Debunking the Entrepreneurship Myth: Entrepreneurship's Past, Present, and Future In this episode, Sugata Sanyal Founder & CEO of ZINFI speak with Michael Gerber, the legendary author of the E-Myth, and Richard Chambers, a channel sales expert, about the foundational principles of business success. The conversation explores the crucial differences between being a technician and an entrepreneur, revealing why 90% of startups fail within ten years. They highlight the universal need for a business system and a compelling vision, regardless of industry or scale. The guests also discuss how timeless principles apply to today's rapidly changing, AI-driven world. Tune in to discover the critical mindset shift required to move from working in your business to working on it. Related Guidebook Debunking the Entrepreneurship Myth: Entrepreneurship’s Past, Present, and Future Best Practices Your Guide to Building a Scalable and Purpose-Driven Enterprise. Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of Debunking the Entrepreneurship Myth: Entrepreneurship’s Past, Present, and Future Best Practices Guidebook. Your Guide to Building a Scalable and Purpose-Driven Enterprise. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Debunking the Entrepreneurship Myth: Entrepreneurship's Past, Present, and Future ✔ Chapter 1: The Origin Story of the Entrepreneurship Myth The concept of the E-Myth did not begin as a formal theory but as a practical observation of a real-world problem. Michael Gerber recounts his early experience assisting his brother-in-law, Ace Remus, whose clients could not convert the leads created for them. When Michael met with one of these clients, he discovered that the business owner, a brilliant technician, did not understand what a business was. The client had no "selling system," leading to the realization that many startups are founded by technicians suffering from an entrepreneurial seizure, not true entrepreneurs. This initial discovery led Gerber to uncover the missing piece in the small business picture, culminating in his influential methodology. Gerber’s exploration revealed a fundamental truth: the business itself is a product that must be designed, built, and launched with a clear system, much like a product or a service. The entrepreneur’s role is to act as the "imagineer," creating the foundational vision and structure for the enterprise. This vision is not just about the product but about creating a predictable and repeatable system that can be replicated successfully. The model for this, as Gerber explains, is a business format franchise, or a prototype, that can scale from a company of one to a company of a thousand. As articulated by the E-Myth, this system-level thinking became the core principle for his business development firm and all his subsequent work. Richard Chambers’ journey was intertwined with Gerber’s. Richard worked for Gerber’s start-up for 7 years, starting as a technical consultant and ultimately running the client services organization responsible for the customer success of hundreds of small business programs. With a background in psycholinguistics, Richard later went on to start his own company, creating a "selling system" that used a common language for collaboration and co-selling. “The S.A.L.E.S.® System” has become an important standard in the IT partner ecosystem. ✔ Chapter 2: The Evolving Sales System and Entrepreneurship Myth The conversation shifted to the specific context of the technology channel, where Richard Chambers has spent most of his career. He notes that this vertical is predominantly driven by entrepreneurs who are, at their core, technicians. While highly skilled in their craft,

Future of Marketplaces: Apps, Agents & Alliances Marketplaces: Apps, Agents & Alliances In this episode, Sugata Sanyal Founder & CEO of ZINFI, and Roman Kirsanov, CEO of Partner Insight, delve into the evolving landscape of digital marketplaces. They explore the significant shift from traditional distribution models to dominant cloud marketplaces, particularly those managed by hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. Roman shares his expertise on how these platforms are reshaping go-to-market strategies and the critical role of distribution. The conversation highlights the increasing importance of marketplaces for software, hardware, and service providers, touching upon key concepts such as private offers and cloud commitments. They also discuss AI agents' emerging role and impact on future marketplace dynamics. This episode is a must-listen for anyone who understands digital marketplaces' intricate workings and future trajectory. Related Guidebook Cloud Marketplaces: A Leader’s Guide to Unlocking Growth and AI Innovation Best Practices Mastering the New Frontier of Digital Distribution Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of Cloud Marketplaces: A Leader’s Guide to Unlocking Growth and AI Innovation Best Practices Guidebook. Mastering the New Frontier of Digital Distribution. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Future of Marketplaces: Apps, Agents & Alliances Marketplaces: Apps, Agents & Alliances ✔ Chapter 1: The Dominance of Hyperscaler Marketplaces Five years ago, the role of marketplaces in corporate distribution was largely uncertain, with many companies questioning their impact on growth and market penetration. Today, however, the landscape has dramatically shifted, clearly demonstrating the undeniable dominance of these platforms. Marketplaces have evolved from niche channels to pivotal ecosystems, with countless companies achieving significant scale and market reach primarily through their presence on these platforms. This transformation underscores a fundamental change in how businesses approach their distribution and sales strategies, prioritizing integration with these powerful digital hubs. The strategic imperative for vendors has become less about whether to engage with marketplaces and more about how to effectively leverage them for maximum impact and sustained growth in an increasingly digital-first economy. The discussion particularly emphasizes the overwhelming influence of cloud hyperscalers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. These entities have not merely provided infrastructure but have cultivated vast and intricate ecosystems that dictate much of the digital economy's flow. Roman Kirsanov focuses on these three giants due to their sheer scale and projected financial commitments; their collective cloud commitments are forecasted to reach an astounding half a trillion dollars by late 2025 or early 2026. This monumental financial scale illustrates their foundational role in the digital infrastructure. While other companies like Oracle, Salesforce, and Atlassian operate their marketplaces, their relative size and market impact are considerably smaller when compared to the expansive reach and financial gravity of the hyperscalers. This stark contrast highlights where the true power and growth opportunities lie within the marketplace ecosystem. This burgeoning influence has led to a significant shift in power dynamics across the industry. Hyperscalers have grown in market capitalization and effectively centralized a substantial portion of the digital distribution landscape. A compelling example of this shift is Salesforce, which has historically championed its marketplace model. Despite its established presence, Salesforce has strategically embraced the AWS Marketpla...

AI in Sales: Navigating the Silent Buyer's Journey The landscape of enterprise sales has dramatically shifted, with buyers making most of their decisions long before engaging with a sales representative. In this new era, where the buyer's journey is increasingly silent and digital, understanding how to adapt and leverage technology is paramount. This podcast explores how AI is not just a tool for automation but a critical enabler for sales professionals seeking to connect, build trust, and close deals in a complex, virtual world. Join Sugata Sanyal, Founder & CEO of ZINFI, in an insightful discussion with Krysten Conner, an experienced sales coach who works with mid-market and enterprise companies. Krysten shares her unique journey from teaching to becoming a successful enterprise sales representative at Tableau, Salesforce, and Outreach. She delves into the profound changes in sales over the last decade, particularly post-COVID, emphasizing the need for reps to be more analytical, proactive, and adept at building trust in a fragmented buying environment. Listen to the full episode to gain actionable insights into developing the human skills and strategic approaches needed to thrive in AI! Related Guidebook AI in Sales: Navigating the Silent Buyers Journey Best Practices Navigate the Silent Buyer's Funnel with AI-Powered Precision. Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of AI in Sales: Navigating the Silent Buyer's Journey Best Practices Guidebook. Navigate the Silent Buyer's Funnel with AI-Powered Precision. Download for FREE Video Podcast: AI in Sales: Navigating the Silent Buyer's Journey ✔ Chapter 1: The Evolving Landscape of Enterprise Sales and the Silent Buyer Enterprise sales have dramatically transformed over the last decade, significantly accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, closing a $100K deal often involved flying to meet decision-makers in person, where physical presence helped establish rapport and understanding of the business culture. Today, virtual interactions are the norm, with decision-makers frequently joining Zoom calls without video, making it harder to build personal connections. This shift necessitates that sales representatives become far more analytical and prepared, developing a sharp point of view on how they can add value, rather than relying solely on personality. Extensive upfront research and analysis are now critical to earn the right to engage with potential buyers. The buyer's journey has become overwhelmingly digital, with Gartner reporting that up to 95% of a decision is made before a buyer engages with a sales representative. Buyers spend an enormous time online researching reviews, case studies, and white papers to educate themselves thoroughly. This means the marketing team acts as a "silent salesperson," profoundly influencing the buyer's perceptions and choices long before a human interaction occurs. Buyers increasingly seek unbiased information, often prioritizing third-party reviews and peer recommendations over what a company says about itself. This evolution has also led to significantly larger buying committees, even for relatively minor deals. This trend is partly driven by market uncertainty and internal politics, where individuals seek multiple sign-offs to de-risk purchases. IT departments are also more involved earlier in the process, ensuring new solutions integrate seamlessly and do not disrupt existing systems. Sales professionals must now articulate a distinct value proposition for each stakeholder within these complex buying units, putting themselves in the shoes of different departments to address their specific concerns and demonstrate relevance. ✔ Chapter 2: Redefining Sales Interaction...

Leadership at a Global Scale: ServiceNow Partner Marketing In the dynamic world of technology and global business, effective partner marketing is no longer just about campaigns; it's about strategic leadership, fostering collaboration, and leveraging cutting-edge technology to achieve unprecedented scale. This podcast dives into how a global leader builds and nurtures a vast partner ecosystem, transforming challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation. Join Sugata Sanyal, Founder & CEO of ZINFI, in an insightful discussion with Meaghan Moore, Vice President of Global Partner Marketing at ServiceNow. Meaghan shares her extensive career journey across hardware, software, and services, and her passion for building thriving partner ecosystems. Discover her strategic approach to leading global marketing initiatives, adapting to digital transformation, and harnessing the power of AI to drive impactful, integrated partner programs worldwide. Listen to the full episode now to gain actionable insights into mastering global partner marketing at scale! Related Guidebook Elevating Partner Marketing: Strategic Leadership in the AI Era Best Practices Master Global Partner Ecosystems with AI-Powered Strategies. Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of Elevating Partner Marketing: Strategic Leadership in the AI Era Best Practices Guidebook.Master Global Partner Ecosystems with AI-Powered Strategies. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Leadership at a Global Scale: ServiceNow Partner Marketing ✔ Chapter 1: Navigating Tech Career Evolution and Partner Channel Development The podcast opens with an engaging introduction to Meaghan Moore, setting the stage for a deep dive into her remarkable professional journey. From her early fascination with Japan and technology, Meaghan's narrative illustrates a career built on adapting to and leading through significant industry shifts. Her formative years in Silicon Valley laid the groundwork for a robust understanding of the tech landscape, beginning with foundational roles in hardware-centric companies like Quantum. This initial phase provided invaluable exposure to core business operations and the mechanics of bringing technology to market, shaping her pragmatic approach to subsequent leadership challenges. Her commitment to understanding the nuances of tech's evolution became a hallmark of her career, preparing her for the expansive roles that followed. As the conversation progresses, Meaghan eloquently describes the pivotal transition from a hardware-dominated industry to the burgeoning software and services sector. This shift was not merely a change in product focus but a fundamental reorientation of business models and partner engagement strategies. Companies like Veritas, Motorola, HP, and SAP became critical stages in this evolution, where Meaghan honed her expertise in channel development and ecosystem building. She emphasized the profound difference between selling physical products and delivering intangible solutions, requiring a more collaborative and integrated approach with partners. This period solidified her reputation as a "builder" in the channel space, capable of constructing effective frameworks for growth in complex, rapidly changing environments. Meaghan’s deep experience across various facets of the technology industry, including hardware, software, and professional services, gave her a unique, holistic perspective on partner ecosystems. Her early career taught her the discipline of tangible product management, which later informed her strategic thinking when dealing with more abstract software solutions. This comprehensive background is crucial to her role at ServiceNow, where she leverages years of diverse experience to drive global partner marketing initiativ...

Humanizing Brands: Authentic Stories for Connecting & Partnering In this episode, Sugata Sanyal Founder & CEO of ZINFI, hosts a compelling discussion with Ademola Adelakun, Founder of A2 Media, and Will Taylor, Co-founder & Chief Partner Officer at Audience-led. The trio delves into the importance of humanizing brands through authentic storytelling for effective partnering. Key insights include how entrepreneurs establish a genuine online presence, the raw realities of building a business, and the evolving communication strategies within complex partner ecosystems. They emphasize moving beyond transactional interactions to foster genuine connections. Listeners will gain valuable perspectives on leveraging personal narratives and emotional impact to build trust and drive engagement, ultimately enhancing partnering efforts in today's multi-generational and multi-channel business environment. Tune in to discover actionable strategies for forging deeper, more meaningful collaborations. Related Guidebook Humanizing Brands: A Guide to Strategic Partnering Best Practices Cultivating Authentic Stories for Connecting & Partnering Success Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of Humanizing Brands: A Guide to Strategic Partnering Best Practices Guidebook. Cultivating Authentic Stories for Connecting & Partnering Success. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Humanizing Brands: Authentic Stories for Connecting & Partnering ✔ Chapter 1: Cultivating Authentic Brand Presence The discussion begins with the personal journeys of Ademola Adelakun and Will Taylor into the realm of online content creation, highlighting the initial hesitations and subsequent embrace of authenticity as a core tenet of their brand presence. As an engineer by background, Sugata Sanyal shares his discomfort with abstract online spaces compared to live audiences, leading to an exploration of how individuals and, by extension, brands transition into public online personas. Ademola recounts his early experiences with Will on Snapchat, where they organically built a community by simply "showing up as ourselves." Surprisingly, this casual approach led to a loyal audience that experienced the same authentic offline interactions as online, sharply contrasting with content creators who adopt personas that lead to burnout and negative real-life encounters. This segment underscores the foundational belief that genuine self-expression is preferable and essential for sustainable online engagement and humanizing brands. Will Taylor further elaborates on his initial disdain for social media, particularly LinkedIn, finding it "cringy" and "dry." However, he quickly recognized an opportunity to learn and grow by sharing his experiences and hardships, embodying the principle that "the best way to learn is to teach." This vulnerability led to an expanding network, increased "luck surface area," and ultimately, the ability to build his business, a feat he believes would have been impossible without consistent online posting. Ademola and Will, having studied psychology, emphasize the importance of sharing emotions and being vulnerable to foster deeper connections and trust, ultimately allowing them to be more of their true selves online and off. This authenticity, they argue, brings significant business ROI by bridging gaps between people and creating relatable content, which is crucial for effective partnering. The conversation also touches upon content creators' strategic choices regarding the type of content they share. Sugata probes whether Ademola and Will have ever deleted posts, revealing that while minor adjustments might occur, the core of their content remains. A significant point of agreement is the deliberate avoidance of political or religious content on professional platform...

Mastering LinkedIn: Building Personal Brands for Social Selling Join Sugata Sanyal, Founder & CEO of ZINFI, hosts a compelling discussion with Chelsea Olsen, Founder of CLOHZ, a leading expert who trains B2B teams on leveraging LinkedIn for pipeline building and closing deals. Chelsea shares her journey into Social Selling, from early cold outreach in 2010 to realizing the critical role of content in a buyer's journey by 2022. The conversation explores the evolution of LinkedIn from a contact identification tool to a vital platform for building credibility and driving revenue. Key takeaways include strategic content creation, the importance of personal branding over follower count, and effective outreach methods for B2B sales. Listeners will gain actionable strategies to transform their sales approach by mastering Social Selling on LinkedIn, ensuring their efforts translate into tangible business results. Related Guidebook Mastering LinkedIn: Building Personal Brands for Social Selling Best Practices Unlock the Power of Authentic Engagement for B2B Revenue Growth. Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of Mastering LinkedIn: Building Personal Brands for Social Selling Best Practices Guidebook. Unlock the Power of Authentic Engagement for B2B Revenue Growth. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Mastering LinkedIn: Building Personal Brands for Social Selling ✔ Chapter 1: The Evolution of Social Selling and Content Strategy The discussion opens with Chelsea Olsen's unique journey into what is now known as Social Selling, a path she embarked upon in 2010 by leveraging LinkedIn primarily for booking meetings. Initially, her methods blended traditional cold outreach tactics like cold calling and direct mail, with LinkedIn as a crucial tool for identifying and connecting with prospects. She used the platform to put "a face to the name" during cold outreach, a rudimentary yet effective strategy in the early days. However, the landscape of B2B sales has significantly evolved over the past eight years. Chelsea realized the paramount importance of content in the buyer's journey only a "couple of years ago" or "maybe like three years ago," marking a significant shift in her approach. The role of content has become increasingly central, transforming LinkedIn into a platform that supports and amplifies all cold outreach efforts. This realization stemmed from a noticeable decline in cold outreach conversion rates by late 2022 and early 2023. The widespread adoption of AI and automation led to rampant spamming, rendering once-effective tactics less potent. This forced Chelsea to step back and re-evaluate her strategy, leading to the discovery that today's buyers are vastly different. Modern B2B buyers conduct 70% of their purchasing research before engaging with a sales representative. Furthermore, during this critical research phase, they consume a significant volume of information, at least 13 pieces of content. Understanding this fundamental shift highlighted what both her teams and she, as a founder, were missing: the crucial element of content. This new understanding underscored that effective Social Selling in the current environment demands a robust and well-thought-out content strategy that caters to the buyer's self-directed research phase. The pivotal change for Chelsea involved actively posting on LinkedIn, but with a strategic understanding of "how to create content for LinkedIn" specifically. She emphasizes that simply posting to post is ineffective, as she experienced years of content creation without engagement or results. Her focus remained solely on LinkedIn, avoiding other platforms like Instagram or Twitter, believing that a singular focus on one platform can be highly effective for many businesses in supporting their sales teams.

AI-Powered PartnerOps: The Next RevOps Frontier In this insightful episode of the ZINFI Partner Ecosystem Podcast, Sugata Sanyal, Founder & CEO of ZINFI, sits down with Kyle Edmund Hayes, Founding Partner at Ecosystem Revenue Dynamics. Together, they explore the fast-changing world of PartnerOps, fueled by AI and driven by the foundational principles of Revenue Operations (RevOps). With nearly two decades of experience spanning Microsoft, Infor, and Avanti, Kyle brings a powerful systems engineering lens to revenue alignment. He shares how today's mid-market and enterprise organizations are overwhelmed by tool sprawl, data debt, and operational silos—and how AI, ecosystem orchestration, and RevOps engineering are converging to solve this. Listeners will gain deep insight into the rise of PartnerOps as the next evolution of RevOps, the challenges of modern tech stacks, and the frameworks needed to simplify go-to-market complexity. This is a must-listen if you're a CRO, partner leader, or RevOps strategist. Related Guidebook AI-Powered PartnerOps: The Next RevOps Frontier Best Practices Discover How Top B2B Brands Are Transforming Engagement, Trust, and Revenue. Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of AI-Powered PartnerOps: The Next RevOps Frontier Best Practices Guide. Discover How Top B2B Brands Are Transforming Engagement, Trust, and Revenue. Download for FREE Video Podcast: AI-Powered PartnerOps: The Next RevOps Frontier ✔ Chapter 1: From Engineering to Ecosystem Thinking Kyle Edmund Hayes shares a compelling journey that blends engineering expertise with operational strategy. Starting at IBM, his early fascination with systems design and IT infrastructure evolved through hands-on roles supporting enterprise data centers. These formative years helped Kyle develop a systems-level perspective. He explains how this foundation shaped his understanding of how technology supports business functions, a theme central to his later work. His transition into software engineering was driven by coding and the desire to understand how complex systems serve broader business outcomes. Kyle shifted from pure engineering to client architecture and program management as he moved through roles at Microsoft and other firms. This evolution was marked by a desire to bridge the communication gap between business teams and technical departments. At Microsoft, he worked on early Azure and SaaS migration projects, giving him a front-row seat to the evolution of enterprise cloud and partner engagement strategies. These experiences formed a unique blend of technical depth and business alignment that set the stage for his eventual founding of Ecosystem Revenue Dynamics. Sugata highlights how this trajectory positions Kyle as an ideal thought leader for PartnerOps, which requires engineering precision and strategic coordination. Kyle has carved out a niche in orchestrating partnerships, channels, and go-to-market motions by fusing operational complexity with ecosystem thinking. This first section sets the foundation for understanding why PartnerOps isn’t just a renamed channel function but a critical extension of RevOps designed to handle the growing intricacy of the modern partner ecosystem. ✔ Chapter 2: What RevOps Got Right—And What’s Next In this section, Kyle outlines the timeline of RevOps’ emergence and its growing importance since around 2016. Initially an evolution of traditional sales operations, RevOps expanded to include customer success, marketing ops, and more, transforming into a hub that touches every revenue-driving function. He credits this shift to changes in customer behavior, particularly in subscription-driven economies. The rise of SaaS and recurring revenue made it essential f...

Sales Development: AI's New Playbook The world of sales has undergone a seismic shift, transforming from traditional cold calling to a nuanced, tech-driven, and human-centric approach111. In the age of AI, Sales Development isn't just about making dials; it's about navigating a complex buyer's journey, building authentic relationships, and leveraging intelligence to cut through the noise. This podcast uncovers the new strategies and essential skills required for success in the modern sales front lines. Join Sugata Sanyal, Founder & CEO of ZINFI, in an insightful discussion with Gabe Lullo, CEO of Alleyoop. As a former SDR who built his way to CEO, Gabe leads one of the world's largest SDR agencies, specializing in front-line prospecting. He reveals how Alleyoop helps clients build and scale their sales development function, focusing on human dynamics, content creation, social influence, and the strategic application of AI to drive qualified leads and appointments in today's rapidly evolving market. Listen to the full episode now to discover the new playbook for Sales Development and transform your outbound strategy! Related Guidebook

Tech Partnerships: Driving Integration-Led Growth In today's complex and evolving digital landscape, strategic Technology Integration Partnerships are no longer a luxury but a necessity for business growth. This podcast delves into the meticulous process of building these vital alliances from the ground up, focusing on how seamless data flow and collaborative solutions can deliver immense value to customers and unlock new revenue streams. Join Sugata Sanyal, Founder and CEO of ZINFI, in an insightful discussion with Rachel Collie, Director of Technology Partnerships at Unanet. Rachel shares her unique experience building a technology partner program from scratch, navigating highly verticalized markets like GovCon and AEC. Discover how Unanet identifies ideal partners, manages complex compliance requirements, and leverages integration-led growth strategies to drive mutual success and customer stickiness, even as a "team of one." Listen to the full episode to gain actionable insights into building and scaling successful Technology Integration Partnerships! Related Guidebook Blueprints for Vertical Success Best Practices A Strategic Guide to Technology Partnerships. Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of Blueprints for Vertical Success Best Practices Guide. Unlock Vertical Growth with Proven Partnership Strategies.. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Tech Partnerships: Driving Integration-Led Growth ✔ Chapter 1: Building Technology Partnerships from Scratch: A Strategic Blueprint Rachel Collie builds Technology Integration Partnership programs from the ground up, consistently stepping into roles without existing frameworks. Her fascination lies in the intricate data flow between disparate systems, observing how customers leverage these integrations, from an ERP to a CRM or a CRM to a project management tool. Over the last decade, she has witnessed the evolution of this space from manual spreadsheet-based tracking to the ubiquitous adoption of APIs. This hands-on experience has honed her ability to define ideal partners and customer profiles and to build the foundational onboarding and enablement tools that are now considered standard yet vary significantly from company to company. At Unanet, her first 100 days were crucial for establishing a strategic blueprint based on three key pillars for evaluating potential Technology Integration Partnerships. The first pillar focused on functional software that Unanet would never build itself, such as payroll platforms, leading to partnerships with companies like Paylocity, ADP, and UKG to serve a broad customer base. The second pillar targeted companies with many joint customers, where existing integrations made sense and offered clear potential for driving new revenue through collaborative efforts. The third pillar explored "cool, interesting technology" – innovative solutions like AI-powered proposal generation tools – representing speculative investments that could eventually address emerging customer needs and potentially lead to future acquisitions. A critical challenge in this initial phase was managing limited bandwidth and roadmaps internally and externally. Rachel emphasizes that "whoever makes the phone call first" often dictates whether an integration gets built. The team deliberately took a strategic, small-scale approach to ensure product teams could build integrations that delivered real value instead of becoming unused logos on a website. Her primary frustration lies in inactive partnerships that fail to generate real value through integrations or revenue. The goal is always to cultivate active Technology Integration Partnerships that yield tangible benefits. This meticulous, phased approach to program building, driven by clear strategic pillars and a focus on actionable integrations, has been fundamental to Unanet's success in establishing its partner ecosystem. ✔ Chapter 2: Navigating Compliance and Customer Needs in Vertical Marke...

Beyond the Dark Web: Zero Trust for Enterprise Security Cyber threats evolve unprecedentedly, and bad actors even weaponize AI. Traditional security approaches are no longer sufficient. This podcast dives deep into the critical need for a Zero Trust Security model, focusing on blocking first and permitting later to build truly resilient enterprise security defenses. Discover how understanding modern cybercriminals' methods, including those operating on the dark web, is essential for implementing proactive and effective protection strategies. Sugata Sanyal, Founder & CEO of ZINFI, discusses this in an insightful discussion with Danny Jenkins, Co-founder and CEO of ThreatLocker. With over 20 years in cybersecurity, Danny founded ThreatLocker on the principle of denying by default, offering an endpoint cloud protection platform that hardens digital environments. This conversation explores the shift from reactive detection to proactive protection, the changing landscape of attack vectors, cybercrime's organized nature, and AI's critical role in offense and defense for enterprise security. Listen to the full episode to gain actionable insights into fortifying your enterprise security posture against advanced cyber threats! Related Guidebook The Zero Trust Imperative: Fortifying Enterprise Security Against AI-Driven Threats Protect Your Business by Blocking First, Permitting Later. Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of The Zero Trust Imperative: Fortifying Enterprise Security Against AI-Driven Threats Guide. Protect Your Business by Blocking First, Permitting Later. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Beyond the Dark Web: Zero Trust for Enterprise Security ✔ Chapter 1: The Shifting Landscape of Cyber Threats and Endpoint Protection The cybersecurity landscape has fundamentally evolved, moving beyond simple viruses to sophisticated and aggressive attacks like ransomware that steal data and hold businesses hostage. While signature-based intrusion prevention was once a primary defense, the constant evolution of malware, now even accelerated by AI generation, means that relying solely on detection is a losing battle. The focus for effective enterprise security must shift from trying to detect everything bad to simply blocking everything that isn't explicitly known and permitted. This proactive approach, known as "protect first, detect later," is a core principle for hardening endpoints and preventing initial compromises. ThreatLocker's core strategy centers on endpoint and cloud protection, recognizing that the endpoint (computers and servers) is the primary point of entry for attackers. Unlike network traffic, which can be encrypted, an compromised endpoint grants access to everything the user can access. The challenge of a dissolving traditional network perimeter means endpoints travel outside the office, necessitating robust security directly on the device. By stopping unauthorized software, malware, and suspicious activities directly at the endpoint, ThreatLocker aims to limit the damage even if an attacker gains initial access, preventing lateral movement and further compromise. This includes addressing behavioral indicators of compromise, not just known malware. Tools like Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) identify suspicious activities (e.g., IP scanners, enumerating network shares) that, while not malware, indicate potential attacker presence. However, an EDR is only effective if its alerts are actively monitored and responded to 24/7, either by an in-house Security Operations Center (SOC) or a Managed Detection and Response (MDR) team. The ultimate goal is to enforce a deny-by-default posture, where any unapproved software or activity is blocked, rather than relying on the hope of detecting every new threat, which has proven to be a failing strategy for enterprise security. ✔ Chapter 2: The Organized World of Cybercrime: Mimicking Go-to-Market Strategies Cybercriminals,

Sales Enablement with EQ in the AI Era The digital landscape is rapidly changing, redefining sales and leadership. This podcast explores how emotional intelligence (EQ) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) fundamentally drive sales enablement and organizational growth. Discover how human skills and cutting-edge technology create a new frontier for business success. Join Sugata Sanyal, Founder & CEO of ZINFI, in an insightful discussion with Joni Wickline, a seasoned consultant and former Chief Channel Officer. Joni brings decades of experience improving employee performance and engagement. She shares expertise from leading global positions at organizations like Leadership Circle and Blanchard and is renowned in leadership development. Joni highlights the critical shift in corporate learning from traditional methods to a focus on soft skills like resilience, communication, and collaboration. She also explains how technology presents both a challenge and an opportunity in this transformation. Listen to the full episode now to gain actionable insights into developing the human skills and strategic approaches necessary to thrive in AI! Joni Wickline, a Chief Channel Officer and consultant, fosters human skills for growth in the digital age. Related Guidebook The Future of Partner Enablement: From Enablement Gaps to Global Advantage Unlock the full potential of your partner ecosystem with proven strategies for global enablement, scalable infrastructure, and behavior-driven transformation. Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of The Future of Partner Enablement: From Enablement Gaps to Global Advantage Guide. Unlock the full potential of your partner ecosystem with proven strategies for global enablement, scalable infrastructure, and behavior-driven transformation. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Enabling Sales with EQ in the AI Era ✔ Chapter 1: The Evolution of Corporate Learning: From Hard Skills to Human Skills Traditionally, corporate training focused on measurable, hard skills and efficiency-driven productivity. However, the landscape significantly shifted, with organizations now prioritizing "soft skills" such as resilience, communication, innovation, and collaboration. These are fundamentally EQ-driven attributes, making them much harder to measure and teach than the more mechanical skills of the past. This shift directly responds to technological advancements, including AI, which increasingly automates routine tasks, elevating the importance of uniquely human capabilities in the workforce. Learning providers find it increasingly difficult to attach specific training to these nuanced skills because each organization's needs and desired outcomes differ. This change in focus also impacts how learning providers interact with their clients. In the past, HR typically bought training, and while HR departments remain central, the decision-making process has become more sophisticated, often involving "people officers." Selling to organizations now requires a deep dive into uncovering their specific needs, understanding the desired outcomes, and, most importantly, identifying the key metrics they aim to move. This consultative approach is essential because, despite clear recognition that these human skills are game-changers for organizations, measuring their direct return on investment is complex and challenging. The industry evolves to partner with organizations, co-creating solutions tailored to unique pain points or business opportunities. This profound shift from IQ-driven, mechanical productivity to EQ-driven human behavior marks a new era for corporate education. While traditional education models, often characterized by rote memorization and standardized testing, still prevail, the demands of the modern workforce necessitate continuous upskilling in areas like resilience and complex communication. The challenge lies in retraining a workforce educated in the "old way" for the new frontier of sales ...

Smartsheet's Ecosystem Growth: Powered by PartnerOps Excellence The dynamic world of enterprise software demands precision, strategy, and robust PartnerOps for scaling growth and managing complex partner ecosystems. This podcast delves into Smartsheet's meticulous approach to building, evolving, and optimizing its global partner network, revealing how a strong operational framework translates into tangible business success. Join Sugata Sanyal, Founder and CEO of ZINFI, for an insightful discussion with Rachael Travis, Director of Global Programs at Smartsheet. Rachael shares her extraordinary journey from serving in the U.S. Army, including deployment in Afghanistan, to leading partner operations and channel strategy in corporate America. She provides a unique perspective on translating military-grade problem-solving and leadership principles into designing and executing effective partner programs. Discover how Smartsheet has strategically pruned and grown its partner base, leveraging data and innovation to meet evolving market demands. Listen to the full episode now to gain actionable insights into developing a resilient and scalable partner operations strategy for your business! Related Guidebook PartnerOps Excellence: The Definitive Guide to Scalable SaaS Ecosystems Build a PartnerOps function that delivers strategy, structure, and AI-driven execution across your partner ecosystem. Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of PartnerOps Excellence: The Definitive Guide to Scalable SaaS Ecosystems Guide. Build a PartnerOps function that delivers strategy, structure, and AI-driven execution across your partner ecosystem. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Smartsheet's Ecosystem Growth: Powered by PartnerOps Excellence ✔ Chapter 1: From Military Leadership to Corporate Partner Strategy: A Unique Journey Rachael Travis's journey into leading global partner programs at Smartsheet is deeply rooted in her six years of service in the U.S. Army by way of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Her time at West Point focused on honing leadership capabilities and building high-performing teams, skills she has carried forward throughout her career. A pivotal experience was her 15-month deployment to Afghanistan in 2007, during a challenging period when resources were primarily focused on Iraq. This environment demanded immense grit, creativity, and the ability to work across nations and diverse cultures to achieve a common mission, teaching her critical lessons in leading with empathy and collaborating under immense pressure. Her military experience provided invaluable transferable skills for her civilian career in partner operations. One key lesson was the ability to break down large, ambiguous missions into smaller, bite-sized tasks that individual teams can execute against. This is particularly relevant in partnerships, which often present comprehensive, strategic concepts that must be translated into actionable plans. Furthermore, the military taught her how to build relationships and influence others without direct authority, a crucial skill in complex partner ecosystems where success relies on rallying diverse stakeholders around a shared vision. The transition from managing physical logistics and equipment in the military to dealing with bits and bytes in a pure-play software world revealed that while the "widgets" are different, the underlying concepts and frameworks for problem-solving remain consistent. This includes planning, deploying the best resources, and optimizing for efficiency and effectiveness. Her consulting background, which followed her military service, further solidified her understanding of go-to-market strategies and customer-centric growth, laying the foundation for her channel and partner operations expertise. ✔ Chapter 2: Designing Strategic PartnerOps (Partner Operations): Effectiveness vs. Efficiency A core principle in designing a partner operations framew...

Second-Party Data: AI Unlocking Ecosystems In the fast-evolving landscape of modern business, the strategic use of data is paramount for sustainable growth. This podcast dives deep into the power of second-party data and how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming its utility to unlock unprecedented opportunities within partner ecosystems. Discover how companies move beyond traditional data sources to leverage shared insights for competitive advantage and accelerated revenue. Join Sugata Sanyal, Founder & CEO of ZINFI, in an insightful discussion with Bob Moore, founder and CEO of Crossbeam. Bob shares his unique journey as a "data nerd" who built two successful SaaS companies in data analytics before founding Crossbeam, the world's leading platform for account mapping. He explains how Crossbeam helps companies compare their CRM data with partners while preserving privacy, which over 30,000 companies globally use. This conversation explores the evolution of data from first- and third-party to highly valuable second-party data and how AI is now a critical differentiator in leveraging these insights for more intelligent business decisions. Listen to the full episode now to gain actionable insights into how second-party data and AI are reshaping the future of partner-driven growth! Related Guidebook Second-Party Data: AI Ecosystems Unlocking Best Practices Your Essential Guide to Transforming Partnerships and Revenue Growth. Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of Second-Party Data: AI Ecosystems Unlocking Guide. Your Essential Guide to Transforming Partnerships and Revenue Growth. Download for FREE Video Podcast: Second-Party Data: AI Unlocking Ecosystems ✔ Chapter 1: The Entrepreneurial Journey: A Foundation in Data Analytics Bob Moore's entrepreneurial journey is deeply rooted in his background as a "data nerd," having studied computer science and operations research. His career began at a venture capital firm, Insight Partners, where he quickly recognized a significant gap: many highly successful businesses lacked sophistication in data analytics, struggling with concepts like customer lifetime value and cohort analysis. This observation led him to manually assist these companies in analyzing their data using SQL and Excel, eventually sparking the idea for his first company, RJ Metrics. Launched in 2008 with co-founder Jake Stein, RJ Metrics aimed to productize this analytical work, bringing "venture capital grade analytics" via SaaS to a broader audience. This early experience laid the groundwork for understanding how businesses could leverage their data more effectively. The second company, Stitch Data, emerged directly from challenges observed at RJ Metrics. Businesses often had their data scattered across various systems, such as Shopify, inventory platforms, payment processors, and marketing automation tools like HubSpot or MailChimp. This fragmentation made it incredibly difficult for companies to consolidate data to answer complex business questions, like whether a marketing campaign led to refunds. We designed Stitch as an intuitive platform for extracting data from these disparate API endpoints and depositing it into a centralized data warehouse, coinciding with the rise of cloud data warehouses like Amazon Redshift and Snowflake. This low-friction product achieved rapid success, and Talend acquired it in 2018. The experiences at Stitch, particularly the realization that Stitch was often purchased as part of a broader data stack (e.g., alongside Snowflake or Looker), directly led to the genesis of Crossbeam. This insight highlighted that the most qualified prospects for Stitch were those who had just invested in complementary technologies. The problem of effectively collaborating with these partners through traditional,

EQ + AI: The New Formula for Partner Ecosystem Success In this episode of ZINFI’s podcast series, Sugata Sanyal, Founder & CEO of ZINFI, hosts Jason Glass, Global Head of Partner Sales at SugarCRM, for a deep dive into the next wave of innovation in the partner ecosystem. The two explore how emotional intelligence (EQ) and artificial intelligence (AI) are not just shaping go-to-market strategies but redefining leadership, operations, and revenue growth. Jason shares insights from leading partner programs at industry giants like NetSuite, Oracle, and SugarCRM. The conversation highlights how human connection, technical fluency, and marketplace orchestration converge to create a new operating system for partner-led success. Whether scaling a channel, rebuilding partner enablement, or navigating hybrid sales motions, this conversation is your blueprint for building a high-performing, AI-ready, EQ-driven partner ecosystem. Related Guidebook The Modern Partner Ecosystem Discover how EQ and AI combine to transform leadership, operations, and growth in today’s partner-led, marketplace-driven ecosystem. Download your COMPLIMENTARY COPY of The Blueprint for Revenue Leadership Guide. Discover how emotional and artificial intelligence converge to redefine partner ecosystems, enhancing leadership, operations, and growth strategies. Download for FREE Video Podcast: EQ + AI: The New Formula for Partner Ecosystem Success ✔ Chapter 1: From Direct Sales to Ecosystem Thinking The episode opens with reflections on an early sales career at ADP and Epicor. In those early days, the focus remained almost exclusively on direct sales. Most organizations controlled the customer journey, and partner relationships appeared secondary or optional. The discussion highlights how this linear model fractured over time, giving way to a more holistic view where partner ecosystems play an essential role in modern go-to-market strategies. Simple reseller engagements evolved into diverse, dynamic models involving co-sell, marketplaces, and solution integrators. The shift didn’t occur solely at an organizational level—buyer behavior played a significant role. With more access to information, buyers now demand flexibility, integrated solutions, and expert guidance throughout the journey. This behavioral shift pushed companies to diversify their routes to market and invest more deeply in partner ecosystems. Success no longer hinges on who owns the customer but on how multiple players collaborate to deliver consistent value across the lifecycle. This opening segment establishes why traditional direct sales tactics no longer suffice. Leaders must now embrace partner ecosystems as a core strategic pillar. The era of linear pipelines and single-vendor dominance has ended. Companies that leverage the strength of their partner communities gain broader reach, richer insights, and faster time to market. The conversation transitions from isolated transactions to interconnected value creation, setting a compelling tone for the podcast's remainder. ✔ Chapter 2: EQ-Driven Partner Leadership in a Digital World The conversation shifts to the rise of emotional intelligence (EQ) in partner sales leadership. Partner management once focused on operations—contracts, quotas, and enablement kits. As partner ecosystems became integral to success, interpersonal dynamics gained importance. Effective leaders now stay deeply attuned to the human side of partnerships. Trust, empathy, vulnerability, and active listening distinguish top-performing partner leaders from the rest. The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a seismic shift when face-to-face interactions disappeared overnight. The screen replaced the boardroom,