In this episode of The Partnership Path in Real Life, host John Rudow chats with Brad Orluk, Microsoft Alliances Director at Salesforce, about the very real—and very messy—challenges of multi-party partnerships. Their conversation is part war story, part masterclass, and 100% relevant for partner pros trying to scale collaborative go-to-market strategy.

Brad doesn’t sugarcoat it—he gives a pragmatic view of what it takes to make multi-party motions work, especially when direct sales, SIs, hyperscalers, and marketplaces all come to the table.

It’s one thing to align with a single partner. It’s an entirely different beast to align with three, five, or even seven parties—all with their own goals, teams, and agendas. But when you get it right, the impact on your go-to-market strategy can be massive.

Key Takeaways

• Multi-party partnerships are hard—but scalable. You can’t force complex motions overnight. Start small, build trust, and expand based on wins.