In this insightful episode of Ecosystem Aces titled " Building Industry-Specific Solutions at Scale, GSI Partner Leader at Google”, we sit down with Akseli Lappanen, Google's GSI Partner Leader, to delve into the intricacies of building industry-specific solutions, the art of forming sustainable partnerships, and the innovative approach Google takes to meet the needs of diverse markets.

Join us as we discuss: 

• Industry-Specific Solutions: Akseli discusses the importance of aligning customer relevance, value, and scalability when building solutions tailored to specific industries. He draws from his experience collaborating with Microsoft engineering teams to drive meaningful partnerships in this regard.
• The Three Pillars of Effective Solution Building: Akseli breaks down the critical aspects of developing new solutions, emphasizing customer relevance, inherent value, and scalability as key elements for project success.
• Identifying and Utilizing a Lighthouse Customer: Akseli highlights the significance of discovering a 'lighthouse customer' to validate the value of a solution and drive subsequent market services and scaling efforts.
• The Role of Demos and Marketing: Akseli emphasizes the essential role of initial marketing and demo phases in sparking interest with the first customer and laying the groundwork for broader adoption.
• Technical and Product Truths: Akseli stresses the necessity of establishing a reference architecture that addresses security concerns and regulatory environments to ensure solutions are easy to sell and buy.
• Unconventional Partnerships and Idea Generation: Akseli discusses the value of unconventional partnerships, emphasizing the importance of ISVs with unique intellectual property and service partners who bring crucial relationships to the table.
• Selling and Co-selling Dynamics: Akseli explains the vital concept of 'co-selling' and the close collaboration between Google and its partners, facilitated by hyperscaler marketplaces, to streamline customer purchases.
• The Importance of Executive Alignment and Industry Knowledge: Akseli underscores the crucial role of senior leaders' alignment and deep industry knowledge for the success of any solution development.
• Staying Curious and Selective: Akseli concludes with personal advice for maintaining curiosity about market movements and customer demands, emphasizing the importance of discernment and strategic alignment in project selection.

This episode provides valuable insights into the complexities of solution development within a large tech company and the importance of partnerships, industry expertise, and strategic innovation in achieving successful outcomes. Whether you’re a part of the tech industry or just interested in the dynamics of partnership and solution building, Akseli’s experiences and advice offer invaluable lessons in navigating these waters.

Stay tuned for more episodes that explore the cutting edge of technology and partnerships, and don't forget to subscribe to our podcast for more conversations with industry leaders like Akseli Lappanen.

Here are some additional episodes featuring other ecosystem leaders that might interest you:

• #164 Jason Eichenholz: How Wipro Accelerated Revenue Growth with Their Ecosystem
• #156 Libby Greco: Get Out There and Break The Glass
• #154 Suresh Kumar Tulluri: Is Your Roadmap Future Proof?
• #152 David La Rose: Strengthening Partner Commitments In The Ecosystem Era
• #151 Mike Stocker: Close 40% More Deals with Partner Influence

Links & Resources

• Learn more about how WorkSpan helps customers accelerate their ecosystem flywheel through Co-selling, Co-innovating, Co-investing, and Co-marketing.
• Download The Ultimate Guide to Drive Co-sell Partnerships!
• Subscribe to the Ecosystem Aces Podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcast.
• Join the WorkSpan Community to engage with other partner ecosystem leaders on best practices, news, events, jobs, and other tips to advance your career in partnering.
• Find insightful articles on how to lead and get the most out of your partner ecosystem on the WorkSpan blog.
• To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about modern partnering, he can be reached on Twitter, LinkedIn, or send Chip an email at: chip@workspan.com 

This episode of Ecosystem Aces is sponsored by WorkSpan. 

WorkSpan is the #1 ecosystem business management platform. We give CROs a digital platform to turbocharge indirect revenue with their partner teams at higher win rates and lower costs. We connect your partners on a live network with cross-company business applications to build, market, and sell together. We power the top 10 business ecosystems in the technology and communications industry today, managing over $50 billion in the joint pipeline.