The Partnership Mistake That Costs Founders Years (and How to Avoid It)
Summary
*Recorded at StartWell, Toronto's campus for corporate meetings & events: https://startwell.co/
Partnerships are no longer a side function - they’re becoming one of the most important growth channels in modern B2B.
In this episode of the StartWell Podcast, Chris Lavoie - founder of Partnership Mastermind - breaks down why partnerships are having a resurgence, what most companies get wrong when building partner programs, and how partner professionals can ramp faster with better training, community, and real-world practice.
CHAPTERS: 0:00 Partnerships are back 4:31 Chris on modern partnerships 6:55 Customer first, always 9:41 Who becomes a partner manager 11:50 When startups notice partnerships 14:15 Why hiring is so hard 18:16 Culture, strategy, execution gaps 21:43 What is Partnership Mastermind 24:31 The bootcamp origin story 27:16 Going all in full-time 31:28 From coaching to platform 34:25 Learning by doing wins 39:08 Why IRL changed everything 43:14 Advice for founders