How misfit partnerships create new categories
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH KIT (THE EMAIL FIRST OPERATING SYSTEM)
Welcome to Partnership Wednesday #109 featuring ideas you can use to create partnerships faster, with less guesswork, and confidently close 6-figure deals.
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Have a burning partnership question? Email me here
A LESSON TO BUILD ON
Do you remember this…?
In 2006, long before “wearables” was a buzzword, Nike and Apple quietly partnered to create the Nike+iPod Sport Kit. It was a tiny sensor you slipped into your Nike shoe that synced with your iPod to track runs. At the time, people saw it as a quirky add-on. Few realised it was the first mainstream step toward the multi-billion dollar connected fitness industry.
Leadership Lesson: Partnerships don’t need to be “equal” in scale or category. Most leaders overthink synergy waiting until two companies look like perfect twins. Nike was about movement, Apple about music. Together they created a new market and proved that misfit partnerships often create the most disruptive outcomes.
AN ANSWER TO HELP YOU MOVE FASTER
We keep being told ‘thanks, but no thanks’, What are we missing? I was asked this question from the crowd this week. Here’s my answer:
It could be timing.
Businesses run on cycles: planning, execution, reporting.
Every team inside that business has its own rhythm.
Aligning with those rhythms leads to open doors and quick decisions.
If you don’t, you’ll be met with delays and “come back next quarter.”
Apple is a masterclass in cycle alignment:
→ Predictable quarterly earnings reports
→ A product calendar the market expects
→ Supply chain, marketing, and retail all in sync
There’s a good chance the partner you’re pitching has a similar cycle which might not be immediately obvious.
When pitching new partners, you have three timing options:
1. Create a New Cycle
• You set the tempo
• Works when product–market conviction is high
• Eg Launching a new industry conference that becomes the annual buying moment
2. Join Their Cycle
• Slot into their quarterly reporting
• Move with their annual budget planning
• Eg Co-launching a partner integration just before their annual customer summit
3. Operate Outside the Cycle
• Hard to be relevant from here
• It’s where most partnerships stall
The fastest way to build momentum is to map your partner’s cycles before you pitch.
Finance = Quarterly reporting
Marketing = Annual brand calendar
Product = 6–18 month roadmaps
Sales = Monthly & quarterly targets
Leaders who master cycle alignment build partnerships that move faster, win earlier, and maintain relevance.
Here’s an infographic that might help you navigate this topic further.
THIS WEEK’S MOMENT
What if your most successful business partnerships started with nothing more than vulnerability?
In this 8-minute episode:
Discover the difference between cultivating a relationship and cultivating a partnership, and why it matters
Learn how showing up without entitlement and leading with value can open doors to meaningful collaborations
Hear why the best partnerships often don’t start with a contract, but with shared vulnerability and long-term intent
Get every episode of the Partnership Playbook on your next commute or workout. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Youtube!
KNOW PEOPLE WHO FEEL STUCK?
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https://philhsc.com/partnership/27-august-2025
Until next Wednesday,
Phil Hayes-St Clair - Executive Coach
When you're ready, there are three ways I can help you:
1. The Partnership Lab (Applications for the September cohort close 29 August): The Partnership Lab is an AI-fuelled system for sales and marketing leaders who need to close 6-figure partnerships—fast.
2. The Partnership Decision Sprint: 45-minute sessions built for leaders facing high-stakes partnership decisions. Invite up to three people from your team and walk away with clear, actionable next steps.
3. Leadership Events: From Cochlear and Lifeblood to military leaders, I have shared inspiring stories and practical frameworks and insights that shift how leaders leverage partnerships for growth. Book me to speak at your next conference, offsite, or leadership event.
Looking for something different? Send me an email.
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