An iolite is a violet gem, used as a compass in the era of exploration.  And here we are, navigating unchartered waters as technology entrepreneurs.  We are a Salesforce App Innovation partner with a story to share – the things that we’ve done along the way, the problems we’ve solved and oh, the places we’ll go!

Our first year as a Salesforce AppExchange partner was about building a foundation for our company and getting our product to the launch pad, and about figuring out solutions to problems we couldn’t foresee. We spent a lot of time reminded of a scene from Apollo 13.  While the astronauts faced peril pursuing the orbit around the moon, NASA engineers on the ground needed to create precise simulation with assorted hardware.  “We gotta find a way to make this [hose] fit into the hole for this [filter] using nothing but that [pile of parts].

Our only advantage was that we knew there was a lot we didn’t know.  Salesforce offers valuable partner support in direct contact relationships, weekly webinars and online libraries.  But the road map and the experience by doing belonged to us.

  1. REVIEW: For us review wasn’t towards the end but at the beginning.  And it took two forms.  Code packages must be submitted through security review and the business arrangement must go through contract review.  Both designed for our protection but it was something we needed to understand by handling the process ourselves.
  2. A-B-C’s:  Like a lot of things in big tech, we’re dealing with an “A.F.E” process…Acronym For Everything.  The LMA and the COA are two distinct links in the chain of selling.  License Management and Channel Orders are what keeps the small partners in business and connects your business registry to Salesforce.
  3. READY POSITION:  To me, this is to be alert, focused, and balanced.  As an AppExchange partner were we ready to go?  Could we register a prospect and lead them through the funnel?  If we went through demo, trial, convert, then what?  We relied on our experience in technology and in business, and in relationships we’d previously built with customers and put forward.

We found a way.  We built a lineup of products, we connected customers, and we’ve helped users get more out of their CRM than they initially realized they could.  We’ve got customer journeys and success stories, and we owe a lot to our team of engineers, architects, marketers, and customers for pushing us this far.

Please stay tuned for updates.  We’d like to engage with industry content that’s helpful to you – product engineering, marketing, year two entrepreneurship, Salesforce AppExchange updates, and anything you’d like us to cover.  Thanks for helping us find a way!